North Andover, Mass. (February 6) -- A 16-0 Saint Anselm run in the first half turned an early deficit into a double-digit lead as the Hawks defeated Merrimack by a 74-60 final on Saturday afternoon at the Volpe Center. The win is the first for the Hawks in North Andover in 10 years.

After the Hawks opened up an early 4-0 lead, the Warriors answered with a 12-2 run and seized the 12-6 lead. However, back-to-back three-pointers from Epiphany Smith (Springdale, Ark.) and Erin Higgins (Mansfield, Mass.) tied the game at 12-12 with 12:40 left in the half. Saint Anselm continued to push the action and used seven straight points from freshman Morgan Frame (Waterville, Maine) and another three by Smith to make it a double-digit lead at 22-12 midway through the opening period.

Saint Anselm pushed the lead to as many as 15 points on a Smith three in the final minute of the period before taking a 41-29 lead into the halftime break. Smith led all scorers in the half with 12 points, along with nine points from Frame. Sarah Benischek (Shrub Oak, N.Y.) was the top scorer in the first period for the Warriors with 10 points, including a three at the buzzer.

Merrimack cut the lead down to 45-35 on a basket from Benischek in the opening minutes of the second before the Hawks pushed the lead up to a game-high 18 points at 54-36 with 13:30 remaining. The Warriors never threatened over the remainder of the game as the Hawks moved into a tie with Merrimack in the Northeast-10 standings.

The Saint Anselm victory is just the second for the Hawks in the last 17 meetings with the Warriors.

Smith led the Hawks with a career-high 29 points, along with 15 points from Frame. Benischek finished with 19 points to lead three Warriors in double figures.

With the win, Saint Anselm improves to 9-13 overall and 6-11 in Northeast-10 play, while the Warriors fall to 8-14 overall and 6-11 in the league. Saint Anselm is back in action on Tuesday night as the Hawks travel to Waltham, Mass. to take on Bentley University in a 5:30 p.m. start.