When and Where: January 20, 2024 – Worcester, Mass. (Laska Gymnasium)
Score: Assumption University 76, Southern New Hampshire University 59
Records: SNHU 10-6 (6-5 NE10), Assumption 10-7 (6-5 NE10)
Senior
Preston Santos (Providence, R.I.) extended his double-digit scoring streak to four games with 14 points, but the Southern New Hampshire University men's basketball team dropped a 76-59 decision to Assumption University on Saturday at Laska Gymnasium.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Santos – 14 points (6-10 FG, 1-3 3-FG, 1-2 FT), 3 rebounds
- Junior Derrick Grant Jr. (Plainfield, N.J.) – 13 points (4-6 FG, 5-6 FT), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks
- Junior Kurtis Henderson (Brockton, Mass.) – 9 points (3-8 FG, 1-2 3-FG, 2-2 FT), 7 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals
KEY MOMENTS
- Southern New Hampshire trailed by one less than four minutes in when a Henderson 3-pointer triggered a 9-1 rush that was capped by a triple from graduate student Matt Becht (Vienna, Va.) and put the Penmen on top, 13-6, with 14:07 remaining in the opening half.
- The Penmen lead grew as large as 24-16 with 4:02 to go, but Assumption closed the half on an 11-2 run that gave it a 27-26 edge at the break.
- That was as close as SNHU would be the rest of the way, as Assumption scored the first seven points of the second half and later used a 16-6 blitz to seize a 64-45 advantage with 6:30 on the clock.
- A 9-2 run just under two minutes later gave the hosts their largest lead of the afternoon at 76-53 with 2:19 to go.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Becht recorded eight points (2-8 FG, 2-5 3-FG, 2-2 FT), three rebounds and two steals.
- Sophomore Royce Williams (Manchester, N.H.) matched his season best with six points (3-5 FG) in a season-high 21 minutes, while adding three rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals.
- Graduate student Alex Rivera (Lowell, Mass.) netted five points (2-10 FG, 1-6 3-FG) and grabbed a pair of rebounds.
- Senior Noah Kamba (Lynn, Mass.) chipped in three points (1-4 FG, 1-2 3-FG) and two boards.
- Junior Jordan Brathwaite (Silver Spring, Md.) scored a point (1-2 FT) and grabbed six rebounds.
- Assumption outshot Southern New Hampshire, 49 percent (25-51) to 35.6 percent (21-59), including 39.1 percent (9-23) to 26.1 percent (6-23) from behind the arc.
- SNHU shot it better from the line, 78.6 percent (11-14) to 65.4 percent (17-26), though the Greyhounds were plus-6 at the stripe.
- Assumption outshot SNHU, 65.4 percent (17-26) to 40 percent (12-30) in the second half.
- The Penmen turned in a slightly better assist-to-turnover ratio (14/11-18/16), while the Greyhounds captured the glass (38-31) and the paint (26-20), scored more points off mistakes (16-15) and second chance points (8-5), and received more scoring from their bench (12-10).
NOTES
- After beginning the season 8-2, Southern New Hampshire has dropped four of its last six.
- SNHU leads the all-time series with Assumption, 37-17, and has won 15 of the last 19 meetings, including four of six, though the teams have split the last eight. The Penmen have also won seven of the last 10 in Worcester, but the Greyhounds have captured two of the last three.
- After scoring 10 total points through the first three games of the year, Santos is averaging 10.9 ppg over his last 10 and has scored in double figures seven times, including four straight.
WHAT'S NEXT
- The Penmen return to action Wednesday, Jan. 24 (7:30 p.m.) when they play host to cross-town rival Saint Anselm College at the Stan Spirou Field House in a game that will air live on WGIR 610-AM and Fox Sports New Hampshire 930-AM.
