BOX SCORE

When and Where: February 3, 2016 – Worcester, Mass. (Laska Gymnasium)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 82, Assumption College 70
Records: SNHU 14-8 (10-5 Northeast-10), Assumption 6-14 (2-13 Northeast-10)

Senior Rodney Sanders (Elizabeth, N.J.) scored a game-high 23 points and junior Chris Walters (Stamford, Conn.) notched his ninth double-double of the season as the Southern New Hampshire University men's basketball team recorded an 82-70 win against Assumption College on Wednesday night at Laska Gymnasium.

Sanders was 7 of 13 from the field, including 4 of 7 from 3-point land, and a perfect 5 of 5 from the stripe, while tallying three rebounds and two steals. Walters registered 21 points (5-10 FG, 1-3 3-FG, 10-11 FT), 13 rebounds and three assists. Fellow junior Devin Gilligan (Amherst, N.H.) posted 11 points (3-8 FG, 1-5 3-FG, 4-4 FT) and seven boards, while senior BJ Cardarelli (Manchester, Conn.) also hit double figures with 10 points (3-7 FG, 3-6 3-FG, 1-1 FT) and three rebounds.

Julian Aiken paced Assumption with 17 points, while Kamali Bey added 15.

Assumption built an 8-3 lead out of the gate before four straight points from Walters sparked a 9-0 run that put the Penmen on top, 12-8, nearly four minutes into the contest. With the gap still four nearly six minutes later, the Greyhounds would use an 8-0 run to race back in front at 27-23 with 9:01 remaining in the opening half.

A Cardarelli trey would stop the bleeding and trigger a 19-6 avalanche that included seven points from Sanders and gave SNHU some breathing room at 42-33 with just under three minutes to play. Assumption would close to within six, but a Gilligan triple with 12 seconds to go sent the Penmen to the break with a 47-38 advantage.

Southern New Hampshire would begin the second half with a 7-2 spurt – capped by a Sanders 3-pointer – to seize its largest lead of the night at 54-40 just over two-and-a-half minutes into the second stanza. Back-to-back Aiken treys made it an eight-point game before a 5-0 spurt pushed the Penmen lead back to 59-46 with 13:17 remaining.

A 6-0 run later in the half would pull Assumption within five at 71-66 with 4:31 on the clock, but a layup from junior Adrian Oliveira (Pawtucket, R.I.) set off an 11-2 wave that included a dagger 3 from Sanders and four points each from Oliveira and Gilligan to make it 82-68 with less than a minute to go.

Oliveira netted eight points (2-3 FG, 4-4 FT) to go with two rebounds and two assists. Freshman Daquaise Andrews (Queens, N.Y.) chipped in five points (2-7 FG, 1-3 3-FG) and six boards, while junior Jerome Harris (Hartford, Conn.) finished with four points (2-5 FG), three rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block.

Notes:
-SNHU now has a four-game winning streak that matches its season high (Dec. 9-Jan. 2).
-Assumption narrowly outshot Southern New Hampshire, 46 percent (23-50) to 45.3 percent (24-53), including 45.8 percent (11-24) to 38.5 percent (10-26) from long range.
-The Penmen captured the glass (38-24) and the paint (22-20), while also owning a 14-2 advantage in second chance points. Despite a worse assist-to-turnover ratio (9/18 – 12/17), SNHU also held a 20-15 edge in points off turnovers.
-SNHU has won nine of its last 11 against Northeast-10 foes.
-The Penmen are now 12-1 when holding their opponents to 70 or fewer points.

Up Next:
The Penmen are back in action Saturday, Feb. 6 (3:30 p.m.) when they play host to Saint Michael's College (5-15, 3-12 NE-10) in a Penmen Pink Day contest that will air live on NESNplus and NESN National. Tickets can be purchased HERE or at the box office on the day of the game

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