STANDOUT PERFORMERS

• Becht – 25 points (6-11 FG, 6-10 3-FG, 7-8 FT), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals
• Santos – 23 points (10-13 FG, 3-4 3-FG), 10 rebounds, 3 steals
• Junior Jordan Brathwaite (Sliver Spring, Md.) – 14 points (6-8 FG, 2-2 FT), 10 rebounds
• Junior Kurtis Henderson (Brockton, Mass.) – 12 points (4-8 FG, 3-4 3-FG, 1-1 FT), 3 rebounds, 6 assists
• Graduate student Alex Rivera (Lowell, Mass.) – 12 points (3-8 FG, 1-5 3-FG, 5-6 FT), 3 rebounds, 4 assists

KEY MOMENTS

• Southern New Hampshire trailed, 12-10, nearly four minutes in when it unleashed a 17-0 blitz – with nine points from Becht and four each from Rivera and Brathwaite – to seize a 27-12 advantage at the 11:39 mark of the opening half. Franklin Pierce would inch to within seven with just over seven minutes left in the stanza, but another 11-in-a-row, led by seven from Santos, widened the Penmen lead to 48-30 with 4:45 remaining. They would bring a 51-36 advantage to the break.
• Franklin Pierce hung around in the second half, getting as close as 10 at 86-76 with 5:09 left, but SNHU strung together the final 19 points, while keeping the Ravens off the board to win going away. Henderson and Brathwaite powered the stretch with six each.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Senior Noah Kamba (Lynn, Mass.) netted eight points (2-5 FG, 1-3 3-FG 3-4 FT) and made a pair of steals.
• Junior Derrick Grant Jr. (Plainfield, N.J.) posted seven points (7-8 FT) and pulled down five boards.
• During the final 5:09 of the game, SNHU limited FPU to 0-for-11 from the field, including 0-for-7 from deep.
• Southern New Hampshire outshot Franklin Pierce, 52.4 percent (33-63) to 36.5 percent (23-63), including 46.7 percent (14-30) to 37.5 percent (12-32) from long range. SNHU was also plus-7 at the line and shot it better, 86.2 percent (25-59) to 81.8 percent (18-22).
• The Penmen captured the paint (38-22) and the glass (43-30), scored more points off turnovers (24-9) and second chance points (15-5), received more scoring from their bench (26-13) and submitted a better assist-to-turnover ratio (16/15-12/16). Fast break scoring was even (16-16).

NOTES

• Southern New Hampshire has won five of its last seven, including four-in-a-row. The four-game win streak matches its longest of the season (Nov. 11-26 and Dec. 2-16).
• The Penmen improve to 23-16 (.590) all-time in the NE10 Championship, including 3-0 against Franklin Pierce. SNHU is in the quarterfinal round for the third time in eight years, including the second straight season, and will hit the road to face fourth-seeded Pace University on Sunday (March 1) at 3 p.m.
• SNHU leads the all-time series with Franklin Pierce, 76-30, and has won six-in-a-row. The last FPU win came Dec. 4, 2021 in an 87-83 home overtime win. The Penmen have also won nine of their last 10, including four-in-a-row at home against the Ravens. The last time the Ravens were victorious at SNHU was Jan. 8, 2020 (91-86).
• The Penmen swept the regular season series for the second consecutive season with a 64-59 home win Nov. 18 and an 81-78 victory at FPU on Jan. 27.
• The 105 points are the most for SNHU since a 107-69 triumph at home against Concordia (N.Y.) College on Dec. 30, 2016, while it breaks 100 for the first time since a 101-81 win at Pace on Jan. 29, 2022. The 105 are also the most in the NE10 Championship since a 107-104 overtime win at Southern Connecticut University on Feb. 28, 2016, as well as the most in regulation.
• Rivera, who entered the game with 997 career points over a five-year career that includes stops at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, Long Island University and Saint Peter's University, eclipsed the 1,000-point mark and now sits at 1,009 for his career.
• Santos' double-double is his fifth of the season and of his career, while Brathwaite's is his first of the season and second of his career.
• Over his last three games, Santos is averaging 25.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.8 blocks per contest, while shooting 78.6 percent (44-56) from the field, including 54.5 percent (6-11) from deep, and making all seven of his free throws.
• After averaging 5.7 points over the first seven games of the season, he is scoring 15.7 ppg over his last 17. Since entering the starting lineup on Jan. 20, he is scoring 16.8 ppg.

WHAT'S NEXT

• The Penmen travel to take on fourth-seeded Pace University in an NE10 Championship quarterfinal tilt Sunday (March 3) at 3 p.m.