When and Where: December 7, 2021 – Manchester, N.H. (Stan Spirou Field House)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 65, Bentley University 53
Records: SNHU 7-1 (3-1 NE10), Bentley 5-3 (4-1 NE10)

STANDOUT PERFORMERS

• Timberlake – 17 points (6-14 FG, 2-5 3-FG, 3-5 FT), 4 rebounds, 3 assists
• Knight – career-high-tying 14 points (7-10 FG), career-high 11 rebounds, 2 assists
• Graduate student Meg Knollmeyer (Hampton, N.H.) – 15 points (5-8 FG, 5-5 FT), 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals
• Graduate student Gyanna Russell (E. Hampton, Conn.) – 10 points (5-12 FG), 5 rebounds, 2 assists

KEY MOMENTS

• Bentley led, 17-12, just over three minutes into the second quarter when Southern New Hampshire ripped off a 25-4 run – powered by 11 points from Timberlake – to seize a 37-21 lead with 2:07 remaining in the opening half. The Penmen would go to the locker room with a 39-23 advantage.
• SNHU scored 11 of the first 16 points of the third quarter and led, 53-32, heading to the final frame.
• A Russell bucket nearly two minutes into the fourth gave the Penmen their largest lead of the night at 55-32. Bentley would whittle its deficit to 16 and then later scored the final six points of the contest to close the gap.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Sophomore Julia Colby (So. Parris, Maine) chipped in five points (2-5 FG, 1-2 3-FG) and four assists.
• Junior Ariana Koivisto (Pomfret, Conn.) posted two points (1-3 FG), six boards, four assists and two blocks.
• SNHU outshot Bentley, 47.4 percent (27-57) to 31.7 percent (20-63) from the field, including 27.3 percent (3-11) to 14.3 percent (3-21) from beyond the arc, and 80 percent (8-10) to 71.4 percent (10-14) from the stripe.
• The Penmen won the glass (40-34), captured the paint (40-28), featured a better assist-to-turnover ratio (17/21-7/14) and received more scoring from their bench (19-10), while the Falcons scored more points off turnovers (18-13) and on the fast break (16-10).

NOTES

• Southern New Hampshire, which has now won five-in-a-row, is off to its best start since the 2015-16 season.
• Bentley, which is receiving votes in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association NCAA Division II Top 25 Women's Basketball Coaches Poll, has its two-game winning streak snapped and is tagged with its first NE10 loss of the season.
• SNHU defeats Bentley for just the seventh time in their 52nd meeting. It is the third win for the Penmen in the last seven meetings, including the second in the last four games at the Field House.
• The 12-point margin of victory is the largest for the Penmen against the Falcons, surpassing the 11-point win they secured Feb. 7, 2018 (66-55) at home.
• After averaging 4.0 points and 3.2 rebounds in 9.0 minutes per game over her first six collegiate contests, Knight is posting 14.0 points and 9.5 rebounds in 24.0 minutes over her last two outings.
• Russell is the only Penmen to have scored in double figures in all eight games this season.
• Knollmeyer had her streak of four straight double-doubles halted. During the stretch she averaged 14.0 points and 18.3 rebounds per contest.

WHAT'S NEXT

• The Penmen return to action Saturday, Dec. 11 (1:30 p.m.) when they play host to Felician University at the Stan Spirou Field House.

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