EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – Senior Tori Lehr (Cohasset, Mass.) registered a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds, but the Saint Anselm College women's basketball team fell to Philadelphia University, 67-58, at the 49th annual East Stroudsburg University Pocono Classic on Saturday afternoon at the Koehler Fieldhouse.
The Hawks drop to 4-4 on the season, while the Rams improve to 3-2.
Lehr went 5-for-11 from the field and made all four of her free throws, while tying her career best in rebounds and adding two assists, a pair of steals and a block. Classmate Meg Morrissey (So. Kingstown, R.I.) was also in double figures with 10 points (3-10 FG; 4-4 FT) to go along with seven rebounds and a pair of swipes.
Philadelphia jumped out to a 22-7 lead to begin the game, behind 11 points from Monica Shacker. Saint Anselm would respond with a 7-2 spurt that trimmed the deficit to an even 10 at 24-14 with 9:08 to go in the opening half, but the Rams would close the stanza with a 12-7 run that gave them a 36-21 halftime lead.
The Rams began the second half with four straight points that opened up their largest lead of the day at 40-21 just 1:39 in, but a 9-3 Saint Anselm run – with seven points from senior Briana Jones (White Plains, N.Y.) – cut it to 43-30 with 13:59 to play.
The Hawks trailed by 13 later in the half when eight points from Morrissey fueled an 11-5 stretch that sliced it to 62-55, but with just 1:09 on the clock. Philadelphia countered with six straight points before freshman Candace Andrews (Boston, Mass.) closed the scoring with a 3-pointer.
Jones netted nine points (3-11 FG; 3-6 FT) to go along with four rebounds and three assists, while Andrews tallied five points (2-7 FG; 1-2 3-FG), five assists and five steals. Senior Allie Jones (So. Kingstown, R.I.) posted eight points (3-6 FG; 2-5 FT), six boards and three blocks. Fellow senior Kierra Moore (Albany, N.Y.) chipped in six points (2-4 FG; 2-4 3-FG).
The Rams held a narrow 39.2 percent (20-51) to 38.2 percent (21-55) advantage in shooting, but shot 54.5 percent (6-11) from downtown, while the Hawks hit at just an 18.8 percent (3-16) clip. Saint Anselm controlled the glass at 41-30, but Philadelphia owned a 22-11 margin in points off turnovers as they gave it away 15 times and forced 23 Saint Anselm mistakes.
The Hawks return to action Sunday, Dec. 1 at 1 p.m. when they close out the Pocono Classic against Concordia (N.Y.) College. The next home game for the Hawks is Wednesday, Dec. 4 at 5:30 p.m. when they play host to Saint Michael's College at Stoutenburgh Gymnasium. Stay up-to-date with the latest news, including game previews and recaps, directly from the Saint Anselm College athletic department by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter @STAHawks.
