STANDOUT PERFORMERS

• Rivera – 17 points (5-10 FG, 5-6 3-FG, 2-2 FT), 4 rebounds, 3 assists
• Henderson – 8 points (3-11 FG, 2-10 3-FG), career-high 9 assists, 3 rebounds
• Grad student Matt Becht (Vienna, Va.) – 12 points (5-11 FG, 2-6 3-FG), 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals
• Junior Derrick Grant Jr. (Plainfield, N.J.) – 10 points (4-6 FG, 1-1 3-FG, 1-2 FT), 4 rebounds

KEY MOMENTS

• In a first half that saw five lead changes, Bloomfield held the largest advantage at 33-27 with under three minutes to go when a Henderson 3-pointer sparked a 10-3 run that sent Southern New Hampshire to the locker room with a 37-36 edge. Henderson had six points over the final 2:24 of the half.
• Bloomfield rushed out of the break with eight straight as part of a 19-3 run that opened its largest lead of the afternoon at 55-40 with 14:32 remaining. Rivera immediately responded with a 3 that began a 9-0 blitz, which pulled the Penmen within 55-51 with 10:32 on the clock. The Bears held a 64-57 lead with under six minutes left when five straight from Becht powered a 10-0 rally – capped by a Grant trifecta – that flipped SNHU into the lead at 67-64 with 1:29 to go.
• Bloomfield knocked down a 3 with 25 seconds left to tie the game, but Henderson answered the bell, using a head fake on the right wing to get his defender up in the air before dribbling inside the 3-point line and rising up to bury a jumper with 2.6 seconds left. The Bears had one last shot at a deep 3 to win it, but senior Preston Santos (Providence, R.I.) came up with the block with 0.4 on the clock to end it.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Santos recorded eight points (3-8 FG, 1-4 3-FG, 1-2 FT) and four rebounds.
• Senior Noah Kamba (Lynn, Mass.) netted five points (2-5 FG, 1-4 3-FG) and grabbed three boards.
• Junior Jordan Brathwaite (Silver Spring, Md.) also scored five points (2-4 FG, 1-2 3-FG) and dished a pair of assists.
• Junior Paul Greene (Freeport, Bahamas) posted four points (2-5 FG), six rebounds and two assists.
• Bloomfield outshot Southern New Hampshire, 45.8 percent (27-59) to 42.6 percent (26-61), while SNHU returned the favor from beyond the arc, 39.4 percent (13-33) to 33.3 percent (5-15). The Penmen were also better from the line in limited trips, 66.7 percent (4-6) to 61.5 percent (8-13).
• The Penmen won the glass (36-35), scored more points off mistakes (15-14) and turned in a more impressive assist-to-turnover ratio (23/9-16/12), while the Bears captured the paint (32-16), scored more second chance points (20-13) and on the fast break (6-2). Bench scoring was even (17-17).

NOTES

• Southern New Hampshire, which is receiving votes in the latest CBB Nation Division II Poll, has won seven of its last eight, including three straight, and is 7-2 for the first time since 2019-20.
• SNHU improves to 5-1 all-time against Bloomfield, which has dropped three straight to the Penmen and last came away from a meeting victorious Jan. 14, 2016 (89-85) at home.'
• The Penmen have now had more assists than turnovers in six of their nine games this season, including three straight. Their assist-to-turnover ratio during that three-game stretch is 41/21 (1.95). That 1.95 would place them sixth in all of NCAA Division II for the season.

WHAT'S NEXT

• The Penmen are back in action Saturday, Dec. 16 (3:30 p.m.) when they play host to Molloy University at the Stan Spirou Field House in a contest that will air on WGIR 610-AM and Fox Sports 930-AM.