When and Where: February 21, 2023 – Manchester, N.H. (Stan Spirou Field House)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 56, Saint Michael's College 39
Records: SNHU 19-6 (15-5 NE10), SMC 1-23 (0-20 NE10)
Junior
Jess Knight (Hanover, Mass.) recorded a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Southern New Hampshire University women's basketball team to a 56-39 victory against Saint Michael's College in the regular-season finale Tuesday evening at the Stan Spirou Field House.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Knight – 17 points (8-13 FG, 1-4 FT), 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
- Senior Adriana Timberlake (Braintree, Mass.) – 13 points (5-10 FG, 1-4 3-FG, 2-2 FT), 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals
KEY MOMENTS
- Southern New Hampshire opened the game on a 9-2 run – led by five points from senior Jenna Roche (Braintree, Mass.) – over the first 3:02. SNHU would maintain the seven-point margin and led, 15-8, after one quarter of play.
- The Penmen kicked off the second quarter with 10 straight points – with four each from Knight and junior Julia Colby (So. Paris, Maine) – as part of an 18-2 blitz that gave SNHU its largest lead of the half at 33-10 with 21 seconds on the clock. The lead was 33-14 going to the break. Knight led the way with six during the larger stretch, while Colby and Timberlake each added four.
- SNHU would extend its lead as high as 24 in the third quarter, but brought the same 19-point lead (48-29) into the final frame. Saint Michael's would get no closer than 16 (50-34) with 6:58 remaining.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Colby netted eight points (2-5 FG, 4-4 FT).
- Graduate student Mia Roy (Bedford, N.H.) tallied seven points (3-10 FG, 1-5 3-FG), a career-best eight rebounds, three assists and three steals.
- Roche notched seven points (2-6 FG, 1-1 3-FG, 2-2 FT), four rebounds and two assists.
- Sophomore Sydnie DeVries (Monson, Mass.) added two points (1-4 FG) and five boards.
- Senior Ariana Koivisto (Pomfret, Conn.) chipped in three rebounds, four assists and four steals.
- Southern New Hampshire outshot Saint Michael's, 37.9 percent (22-58) to 31.4 percent (16-51), including 23.1 percent (3-13) to 10 percent (2-20) from long range.
- SNHU also narrowly shot it better from the line, 56.3 percent (9-16) to 55.6 percent (5-9).
- The Penmen won the glass (39-34) and the paint (32-22), scored more points off turnovers (18-7) and on the fast break (13-2), received more scoring from their bench (12-4) and featured a more impressive assist-to-turnover ratio (16/14-3/21). The Purple Knights collected more second chance points (11-8).
NOTES
- Southern New Hampshire, which has won six of its last eight games, clinches the No. 3 seed and a first-round bye for the NE10 Championship, which begins Friday (Feb. 24). SNHU will host a quarterfinal game against the winner of sixth-seeded American International College and the 11th-seeded College of Saint Rose on Sunday, Feb. 26 (1:30 p.m.).
- Saint Michael's still leads the all-time series with Southern New Hampshire, 31-24, but SNHU has won nine of the last 10 meetings, including six straight. The Penmen have also won five-in-a-row at home against the Purple Knights, who have not won a game at SNHU since Dec. 10, 2016 (77-72).
- The Penmen sweep the regular-season series from the Purple Knights for the third straight campaign following a 61-53 road win Jan. 7.
- Knight records her 12th double-double of the season.
- Knight has reached 10-plus points in 21 of 22 games this season, while Timberlake has done the same in 21 of 25.
- SNHU improves to 40-13 (.755) since the start of the 2021-22 season, including 19-7 (.731) at home.
- Roche, Roy and Koivisto were honored in a Senior Night ceremony prior to the game.
WHAT'S NEXT
- The third-seeded Penmen will have a bye in the first round of the NE10 Championship on Friday, Feb. 24 and will host a quarterfinal game against the winner of sixth-seeded American International and 11th-seeded Saint Rose on Sunday, Feb. 26 (1:30 p.m.) at the Stan Spirou Field House. The game will air live on WGIR 610-AM and Fox Sports New Hampshire 930-AM.