When and Where: November 29, 2023 – Manchester, N.H. (Stan Spirou Field House)
Score: Saint Michael's College 63, RV Southern New Hampshire University 62
Records: SNHU 4-2 (2-1 NE10), SMC 4-1 (3-0 NE10)
Junior
Kurtis Henderson (Brockton, Mass.) poured in a game-high 19 points to match his career high, but the Southern New Hampshire University men's basketball team had its four-game winning streak halted with a 63-62 defeat against Saint Michael's College on Wednesday at the Stan Spirou Field House.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Henderson – career-high-matching 19 points (7-18 FG, 3-5 3-FG, 2-2 FT), 2 rebounds, 2 assists
- Graduate student Matt Becht (Vienna, Va.) – 15 points (5-9 FG, 5-7 3-FG), 4 rebounds, 2 steals
- Junior Derrick Grant Jr. (Plainfield, N.J.) – 9 points (3-6 FG, 3-5 FT), 7 rebounds, 2 blocks
KEY MOMENTS
- Saint Michael's trailed by a pair a little more than five-and-a-half minutes into the contest when it went on a 14-5 run that opened up a 17-10 advantage with 11:21 remaining in the first half. Southern New Hampshire responded with a 19-4 burst – led by five points each from sophomore Royce Williams (Manchester, N.H.) and grad student Alex Rivera (Lowell, Mass.) – to grab a 29-21 lead with 3:57 left. SNHU would go to the locker room with a 34-26 advantage.
- Saint Michael's came out of the break on a 14-5 run to pull into the lead at 40-39 just under seven minutes in. The Penmen countered with seven straight – capped by a Becht 3-pointer – to go back in front, 46-40, with 11:51 to play. SNHU matched its largest lead of the contest at 57-49 with under five minutes to go, but the Purple Knights used a 10-1 rush to seize a 59-58 lead with 1:36 on the clock. The teams traded the lead four times down the stretch, with the Penmen having a chance to win it in the final seconds, but what looked like contact at the rim on a driving layup was not whistled and the visitors escaped with the victory.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Rivera tallied six points (2-10 FG, 1-3 3-FG, 1-3 FT), 10 rebounds and four assists.
- Williams netted a career-high five points (2-5 FG, 1-2 3-FG) and made two steals.
- Junior Jordan Brathwaite (Silver Spring, Md.) posted four points (2-7 FG) and three boards.
- senior Noah Kamba (Lynn, Mass.) recorded two points (1-6 FG), three rebounds and three assists.
- Junior Paul Greene (Freeport, Bahamas) chipped in two points (2-2 FT) and three rebounds.
- Saint Michael's outshot Southern New Hampshire, 40.4 percent (21-52) to 35.5 percent (22-62), including 46.2 percent (12-26) to 34.5 percent (10-29) in the second half. SNHU shot it better from distance, 43.5 percent (10-23) to 23.3 percent (7-30), while SMC was better from the line, 70 percent (14-20) to 61.5 percent (8-13).
- The Penmen scored more points off turnovers (21-12) and second chance points (10-9), and featured a better assist-to-turnover ratio (11/12-11/17), while the Purple Knights captured the glass (41-34) and the paint (24-16), scored more points on the fast break (11-9), and received more scoring from their bench (12-9).
NOTES
- Southern New Hampshire, which is receiving votes in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II Coaches Poll, saw its four-game winning streak come to an end. Saint Michael's has now won four-in-a-row after dropping its season opener.
- SNHU leads the all-time series with Saint Michael's, 41-15, and had won 16 of the last 19 meetings, including five straight, before the loss. The Penmen had also won 10-in-a-row at home versus the Purple Knights, who had last left SNHU with a victory Nov. 16, 2011 (59-57).
WHAT'S NEXT
- The Penmen are back in action Saturday, Dec. 2 (3:30 p.m.) when they travel to the University of New Haven.
- The next home game for SNHU is Wednesday, Dec. 6 (7:30 p.m.) when they play host to Bentley University at the Stan Spirou Field House in a contest that will air on WGIR 610-AM and Fox Sports 930-AM.
