Box Score
MANCHESTER, N.H. – Four players scored in double-figures led by a game-high 24 points from Mike McCahey (Clarkstown, N.Y.) as #15 Saint Anselm College defeated the visiting University of Bridgeport, 91-72, in non-conference men's basketball action on Sunday afternoon at the Stoutenburgh Gymnasium in Manchester, N.H.
The Hawks picked up their fifth-straight win to improve to 11-1 on the year, while Bridgeport falls to 5-6 overall.
McCahey scored 20 of his 24 points in the opening half and added seven rebounds in the game. Victor Joshua (New Haven, Conn.) had an all-around game, scoring 18 points to go with 11 rebounds, seven assists, two blocks, and a steal. Chris Braley (Newport, Maine) added 16 points, while Tim Guers (Langhorne, Pa.) chipped in 11 points and seven rebounds. Harrison Taggart (Wallingford, Vt.) added nine points, six rebounds, eight assists, and two steals.
Bridgeport was led by 19 points off the bench from Jesse Jones. Ernest Rouse added 15 points, four rebounds, and three steals, while Muhammed Ahmed scored 12 points of his own.
The Purple Knights scored the first four points of the game and an Ernest Rouse triple put the visitors on top 7-4 in the early going. Mike McCahey eventually connected on a three to make it a 14-11 game and a triple from Harrison Taggart staked the Hawks to a 17-13 lead with 14:32 remaining.
Saint Anselm continued to build on their lead and an 11-0 run by the Hawks on threes from Cody Ball (Londonderry, N.H.), Ryan Hartung (Haverhill, Mass.) and Tim Guers, and a McCahey score put the Hawks on top 36-17 with 9:16 remaining. McCahey gave Saint Anselm their largest lead of the game with his second triple of the day to take a 41-20 lead at the 8:44 mark.
Bridgeport started to chip away and used a 15-4 run capped off by a Montana Mayfield three to make it a 10 point game. A McCahey triple gave the Hawks a 50-37 lead a few minutes later, but three-straight buckets from the Purple Knights cut their deficit to only seven headed into the final minute of play.
The Hawks got a stop and raced up the floor in the closing seconds of the half where Harrison Taggart picked up his dribble at the free throw line. He kicked the ball out to McCahey who fired from 25 feet out and hit nothing but the bottom of the net to give Saint Anselm a 53-43 lead headed into halftime.
Jesse Jones got Bridgeport to within six in the opening minutes of the second period, but a 9-0 run from Saint Anselm put them back in control at 66-51. With the Hawks on top 70-55, Bridgeport made one final push, rattling off an 11-2 run of their own to get back within six following back-to-back layups from Eric Rankin.
Saint Anselm answered with two-straight buckets from Taggart and Braley before Victor Joshua scored four points as part of a 7-0 run to go back on top by 15. Bridgeport would only get as close as 13 as the Hawks pulled away late, building its lead back up to 21 before the final score of 91-72.
The Hawks shot a blistering 62.1% (36-of-58) from the field and knocked down 11-of-19 (57.9%) of their three-pointers, but only connected on 8-of-17 free throws. Saint Anselm dominated the glass, winning the rebounding battle 43-32, but committed 18 turnovers to just 11 for Bridgeport.
Saint Anselm returns to Northeast-10 Conference action on Wednesday night when they travel to Pace University for a 7:30 p.m. meeting with the Setters.
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