When and Where: January 31, 2026 – Springfield, Mass. (Henry A. Butova Gymnasium)
Score: American International College 92, Southern New Hampshire University 85
Records: SNHU 11-7 (6-5 NE10), AIC 14-6 (8-4 NE10)
Senior Meghan Gordon (Attleboro, Mass.) submitted a perfect shooting performance en route to a career- and game-high 27 points as the Southern New Hampshire University women's basketball team slashed an 18-point, fourth-quarter deficit to just five, but American International College held off the Penmen for a 92-85 victory Saturday afternoon at Butova Gymnasium.
KEY MOMENTS
- American Int'l built a nine-point lead after the opening quarter and maintained that margin going into the break. AIC would then run its advantage to has many as 19 and brought a 72-56 lead to the final frame.
- After the Yellow Jackets made it an 18-point game less than 20 seconds in, an 11-2 run – led by four from junior Madison Hughes (Columbia, Conn.) and three from Gordon – cut the deficit in half to 76-67 with 6:58 on the clock. A 9-0 blitz – capped by 3-pointers from freshman Izzy Terzioski (Ilion, N.Y.) and junior Ava Winterburn (New Boston, N.H.) – trimmed the gap to five at 86-81 with 45 seconds to go, but AIC would go 6-for-6 at the line down the stretch to seal it.
NOTES
- Southern New Hampshire had won nine of its last 11, including five straight.
- SNHU shot 57.9 percent (33-57) from the field, including 75 percent (12-16) in the fourth quarter. The .579 mark is the highest for the Penmen since Feb. 9, 2008 when they shot 59.6 percent (28-47) in an 81-71 home loss to Pace University.
- The 85 points are the most the Penmen have scored in a game since an 85-59 home win against Saint Michael's College on Nov. 26, 2024, while the 92 points are the most they have allowed since a 92-90 loss at Adelphi University on Jan. 11, 2020.
- Gordon finished 10-for-10 from the field, made her only 3-point attempt and sank all six of her free throw attempts, while corralling nine rebounds and handing out a pair of assists.
- Winterburn matched her career high with 19 points (7-12 FG, 4-9 3-FG, 1-2 FT) and filled the stat sheet with three rebounds, three assists and a career-high-matching three steals.
- Hughes was also in double figures with 10 points (3-7 FG, 4-5 FT), five boards and three assists.
- Sophomore Taylor Brennan (Southbury, Conn.) chipped in seven points (3-6 FG, 1-2 3-FG), matched her career best with seven assists and collected three rebounds.
- The difference in the game was AIC only turning it over eight times and forcing 19 SNHU mistakes for a 27-16 advantage in points off turnovers.
- The Yellow Jackets lead the all-time series, 28-21, and have captured three of the last fourth, though the Penmen have won 10 of the last 13 meetings. SNHU has won four of the last six in Springfield, despite AIC winning two-in-a-row.
WHAT'S NEXT
- SNHU is back in action Wednesday, Feb. 4 (5:30 p.m.) at Saint Michael's College.
- The Penmen return home on Saturday, Feb. 7, for Pink Day against Adelphi University at 1:30 p.m.
