STANDOUT PERFORMERS

• Hughes – career-high 14 points (5-12 FG, 2-4 3-FG, 2-4 FG), career-high 8 rebounds
• Wager – 14 points (3-14 FG, 8-11 FT), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
• Sophomore Ava Winterburn (New Boston, N.H.) – career-high 10 points (3-5 FG, 2-3 3-FG, 2-2 FT), career-high 4 rebounds

KEY MOMENTS

• Post jumped out to a 7-1 lead over the opening two minutes and held a 14-8 advantage, before Southern New Hampshire free throws trimmed the deficit to 14-10 at the end of the first.
• It was an 18-12 game when an 11-0 burst from SNHU – with five points from Hughes and four from senior Sydnie DeVries (Monson, Mass.) – flipped it into the lead at 23-18 with 3:14 left before the half. A 9-0 counter-run from Post put the Eagles back on top, 27-23, with 40 seconds to go, but the Penmen scored the final four, including a tip-in at the buzzer by freshman Kameron St. Pierre (Swansea, Mass.), to send the game to the half tied at 27.
• SNHU built a six-point lead with 3:18 remaining in the third quarter, as freshman Samantha Pfeil (Methuen, Mass.) drilled a 3-pointer to make it 42-36. A 6-0 run from Post left the game tied with 2:14 on the clock, but the Penmen would go up, 45-42, going to the final frame.
• The game was tied at 48-all less than three minutes into the fourth when back-to-back Winterburn treys put the Penmen up by six. SNHU held a 59-56 lead with just over two minutes to play when it ended the game with an 11-2 rush – with five points each from junior Meghan Gordon (Attleboro, Mass.) and Wager.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Graduate student Stephanie Davis (Windham, N.H.) tallied eight points (2-5 FG, 4-8 FT), four rebounds, three assists and three steals.
• Gordon posted seven points (2-6 FG, 3-4 FT), six boards, two blocks and a pair of steals.
• St. Pierre recorded seven points (2-6 FG, 3-6 FT), three boards and two assists.
• DeVries registered five points (2-4 FG, 1-2 FT), 11 rebounds and a pair of steals.
• Pfeil chipped in the three points (1-2 FG, 1-1 3-FG).
• Junior Matilde Baron (Vicenza, Italy) added two points (1-2 FG), two rebounds, an assist and a steal.
• Southern New Hampshire outshot Post, 37.5 percent (21-56) to 32.9 percent (25-76), including 35.7 percent (5-14) to 14.3 percent (4-28) from beyond the arc. The Penmen were also plus-19 at the line and shot it better, 62.2 percent (23-37) to 50 percent (4-8).
• The Penmen won the glass, scored more points on the fast break (8-4) and received more scoring from their bench (19-9), while the Eagles scored more points off turnovers (21-15) and second chance points (9-8), and featured a better assist-to-turnover ration (12/21-11/25). Points in the paint were even (30-30).

NOTES

• Southern New Hampshire captures its season opener for the fifth time in the last six seasons, including the fourth straight.
• The 37 free throw attempts were the most for the Penmen since Nov. 26, 2017 when they took 39 against Felician University.
• SNHU improves to 11-2 all-time against Post.
  
• SNHU is now 61-26 (.701) since the start of the 2021-22 season.

WHAT'S NEXT

• The Penmen wrap up the Best Western Windjammer Tip-Off Classic on Saturday (Nov. 9) at 5 p.m. against Bloomfield College.
• SNHU opens its home slate Tuesday, Nov. 26 (5:30 p.m.) when it plays host to Saint Michael's at the Stan Spirou Field House.