BOX SCORE
RAPID REACTION WITH HEAD COACH KAREN PINKOS

When and Where: February 7, 2018 – Manchester, N.H. (SNHU Fieldhouse)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 66, Bentley University 55
Records: SNHU 15-8 (11-6 NE10), Bentley 20-3 (14-3 NE10)

Junior Kylie Lorenzen (Holliston, Mass.) scored a game-high 21 points to lead four scorers in double figures, as the Southern New Hampshire University women's basketball team posted a 66-55 victory over No. 7/16-ranked Bentley University on Wednesday evening at the SNHU Fieldhouse to secure its first-ever regular-season sweep of the Falcons.

Lorenzen, who had 17 points after halftime, was an efficient 10 of 15 from the floor and 1 of 3 from the stripe, while filling the box score with nine rebounds, three steals, two assists and a block. Senior Catherine Stinson (Lynn, Mass.) posted a career-high 16 points (6-13 FG, 2-6 3-FG, 2-2 FT) to go with eight rebounds. Freshman Sarah Deyo (Attleboro, Mass.) recorded 11 points (3-8 FG, 2-4 3-FG, 3-6 FT) and six boards, with classmate Gyanna Russell (E. Hampton, Conn.) netting 10 points (3-7 FG, 4-4 FT).

Becca Musgrove led Bentley with 13 points, while Monica Viapiano and Macchi Smith added 12 and 11, respectively.

Southern New Hampshire scored the game's first four points, but a 14-4 counter-burst from Bentley – with six points from Viapiano – flipped it into the lead at 14-8 with a minute on the clock in the opening quarter. Deyo dropped in a layup in the final seconds to cut the Penmen deficit to 14-10.

Back-to-back 3-pointers from Deyo and Stinson to begin the second quarter triggered a 10-2 rush that put the Penmen in front, 20-16, less than three minutes in. The lead was two nearly four minutes later when Bentley ended the half on an 8-2 run – with the final four points coming from Musgrove – to bring a 28-24 advantage into the break.

A Deyo trey and Lorenzen layup would open the second-half scoring and give the Penmen a 29-28 edge one minute in, before the teams traded the lead three times. With Bentley holding a one-point lead, however, a Russell layup at the 2:45 mark gave SNHU the upper hand for good at 39-38. Lorenzen added a basket in the final minute and Southern New Hampshire would bring a 41-38 advantage into the final frame.

Those final four points would be the start of an 18-3 burst that featured eight points from Lorenzen and gave the hosts their largest lead of the contest at 55-41 with 4:49 remaining. A 7-1 spurt later in the stanza would pull Bentley to within 60-55 with under a minute to go, but a Lorenzen bucket would halt the run before a quartet of free throws sealed it for the Penmen.

Senior Jennifer Shelp (Apalachin, N.Y.) chimed in with five points (2-5 FG, 1-1 3-FG), while junior Brianna Camara (Fall River, Mass.) tallied three points (1-5 FG, 1-2 FT), seven rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals.

Notes:
-The Penmen, who have won four of six, keep pace with crosstown-rival Saint Anselm College for third place in the NE10 Northeast Division standings and officially clinch a postseason spot for the first time since the 2011-12 season.
-The 15 victories for SNHU are the most since 2011-12, when it won 19 games.
-Southern New Hampshire, which entered the contest at 5-41 all-time against Bentley,  sweep the regular-season series from the Falcons for the first time ever, after a 73-68 win in Waltham, Mass., on Dec. 6.
-SNHU outshot Bentley, 42.4 percent (25-59) to 35.4 percent (23-65) from the field, 29.4 percent (5-17) to 23.8 percent (5-21) from beyond the arc, and 64.7 percent (11-17) to 57.1 percent (4-7) from the line.
-The Penmen featured a better assist-to-turnover ratio (9/17-8/18), while the Falcons captured the paint (36-32). The glass was even a 41-all, with Bentley turning a 14-11 edge on the offensive end into a 9-2 gap in second chance points.

Up Next:
The Penmen return to action Saturday, Feb. 10 (1 p.m.) when they take on Merrimack College. The next "home" game for SNHU is Wednesday, Feb. 14 (5:30 p.m.) when it clashes with crosstown-rival Saint Anselm College at the SNHU Arena in downtown Manchester in a contest that will air on FOX College Sports. Tickets are still available via Ticketmaster by visiting snhuarena.com.

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