BOX SCORE

When and Where: January 8, 2020 – Manchester, N.H. (Stan Spirou Field House)
Score: Franklin Pierce University 91, Southern New Hampshire University 86
Records: FPU 9-4 (4-2 NE10), SNHU 9-5 (2-4 NE10)

Junior Michael Almonacy (Brentwood, N.Y.) led four scorers in double figures with 19 points, but the Southern New Hampshire University men's basketball team had its furious comeback fall short in a 91-86 loss to in-state rival Franklin Pierce University on Wednesday night at the Stan Spirou Field House.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS

• Almonacy – 19 points (6-13 FG, 1-3 3-FG, 6-7 FT), 3 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists
• Junior Corry Long (Cincinnati, Ohio) – 17 points (5-10 FG, 1-4 3-FG, 6-9 FT), 7 rebounds, 2 blocks
• Senior Eamonn Joyce (Medford, Mass.) – 15 points (6-9 FG, 2-3 3-FG, 1-4 FT), 2 rebounds
• Senior Shawn Montague (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) – 14 points (2-6 FG, 10-10 FT), 9 rebounds, 3 assists
• Freshman Jacari Sanders (San Antonio, Texas) – 9 points (3-12 FG, 2-5 3-FG, 1-2 FT), 3 assists
• Sophomore Mikey Buscetto (Waterford, Conn.) – 6 points (3-4 FG), 4 assists
• Freshman Ryan Conroy (Staten Island, N.Y.) – 6 points (2-4 FG, 2-3 3-FG)

KEY MOMENTS

• Franklin Pierce held its largest lead of the night at 72-52 with just under 11 minutes remaining when Southern New Hampshire broke out with a 26-8 burst - led by eight points from Sanders and six for Long - that slashed its deficit to a pair at 80-78 with 5:07 left.
• It was a one-possession game at 87-84 with 24 seconds on the clock, but the Penmen missed a shot and the Ravens sank a pair of free throws at the other end to go up five with 15 ticks left. SNHU would nail two free throws to again make it a one-score game at 89-86 with 10 seconds to play, but two more free throws with three seconds to go would seal it for FPU.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Doyin Fadojutimi led all scorers with 21 points (5-11 FG, 3-5 3-FG, 8-8 FT), to go with nine rebounds, while Falu Seck added 20 points (7-13 FG, 2-3 3-FG, 4-8 FT).
• The Ravens outshot the Penmen, 47.8 percent (32-67) to 44.3 percent (27-61), while SNHU was narrowly better from long range, 38.1 percent (8-21) to 36 percent (9-25).
• SNHU was also plus-6 from the line, while FPU shot it better, 78.3 percent (18-23) to 75 percent (24-32).
• The Penmen gathered more points off turnovers (19-16) and on the fast break (17-15), in addition to featuring a better assist-to-turnover ratio (14/11-14/12), while the Ravens captured the glass (41-31) and the paint (40-32), and totaled up more second chance points (9-7).

NOTES

• Southern New Hampshire had won five of its last seven, while the Ravens have now captured six of their last seven, including three consecutive.
• After winning eight of nine and six straight, SNHU, which leads the all-time series with Franklin Pierce, 70-28, has now dropped two-in-a-row to the Ravens.
• The loss also snaps a five-game home winning streak for the Penmen against FPU, with the Ravens earning their first win at the Stan Spirou Field House since Dec. 4, 2013 (77-63).
• Montague, who entered the game shooting 51.9 percent from the stripe on the season and 49.7 percent during his career, is now 18 of 21 (85.7%) from the line over his last two contests.

WHAT'S NEXT

• The Penmen are back in action Saturday, Jan. 11 (3:30 p.m.) when they take on Adelphi University.
• The next home contest for SNHU is Saturday, Jan. 18 (3:30 p.m.) when it plays host to Le Moyne College at the Stan Spirou Field House. The game will air on WGIR 610-AM.

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