BOX SCORE

When and Where: November 10, 2017 – Philadelphia, Pa. (Bobby Morgan Arena)
Score: University of the Sciences 65, Southern New Hampshire University 56
Records: USciences 1-0, SNHU 0-1

Junior Kylie Lorenzen (Holliston, Mass.) scored a team-high 13 points, but the Southern New Hampshire University women's basketball team fell to the University of the Sciences, 65-56, in the season opener Friday night, as part of the USciences Conference Challenge at Bobby Morgan Arena.

Lorenzen shot 4 of 8 from the field and was 5 of 6 from the stripe, while grabbing seven rebounds and making three steals. Freshman Sarah Deyo (Attleboro, Mass.) was impressive in her first collegiate outing, netting 12 points (3-4 FG, 2-2 3-FG, 4-4 FT) off the bench on nearly perfect shooting. Junior Brianna Camara (Fall River, Mass.) also reached double figures with 10 points (4-9 FG, 2-3 3-FG), to go with eight rebounds and a pair of assists.

Sarah Abbonizio led the Devils with 19 points, while Alex Thomas and Jordan Vitelli added 14 and 13, respectively.

Near the end of a back-and-forth opening quarter, sophomore Molly Terry (Shrewsbury, Mass.) splashed a 3-pointer to give Southern New Hampshire a 21-17 advantage with 1:06 on the clock – the first lead of more than three for either team to that point in the contest.

The second stanza was more of the same back-and-forth until a 12-0 blitz – with seven points from Abbonizio – opened up a 37-26 lead for USciences. A Deyo jumper capped the scoring and trimmed the Southern New Hampshire deficit to 37-28 at the break.

The lead was still nine at 44-35 in the third quarter when three points each from Thomas and Abbonizio made up a 6-2 spurt that increased the margin to 13 at 50-37 with just under three minutes to go. A Camara trey sparked a 5-1 run for the Penmen that capped the quarter and again brought the gap to nine at 51-42.

The Devils opened the final frame with nine straight points – highlighted by an Abbonizio 3-pointer – to balloon the lead to 60-42 midway through the stanza. SNHU responded with nine straight – with four points each from Deyo and Lorenzen – to trim the deficit to 60-51 with 1:43 on the clock, but it was too little and too late.

Senior Catherine Stinson (Lynn, Mass.) tallied eight points (2-9 FG, 2-6 3-FG, 2-4 FT), four rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Terry chimed in with six points (2-8 FG, 2-7 3-FG), while fellow sophomore Amanda Kelly (Bethpage, N.Y.) also added six points (3-6 FG).

Notes:
- Southern New Hampshire had won three straight season openers.
- USciences outshot SNHU, 42.6 percent (23-54) to 34.6 percent (18-52), from the field, while the Penmen returned the favor from beyond the arc, 36.4 percent (8-22) to 26.1 percent (6-23).
- The teams were evenly matched from the line, with the Devils holding a narrow advantage, 76.5 percent (13-17) to 75 percent (12-16).
- The Devils owned a 36-30 margin on the glass, with the Penmen turning in a better assist-to-turnover ratio (11/11-9/13).

Up Next:
The Penmen return to action Saturday, Nov. 11 (12 p.m.) when they wrap up the USciences Conference Challenge against Goldey-Beacom College.

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