MANCHESTER, N.H. – Behind double-doubles from seniors Chris Braley and Harrison Taggart, the Saint Anselm College men's basketball team won their second-straight game with a 91-86 victory over Bentley University on Wednesday night in Northeast-10 Conference action at Stoutenburgh Gymnasium in Manchester, N.H.
Box Score
Chris Braley scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead Saint Anselm. Harrison Taggart added 19 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, a steal and two blocks, while Tim Guers netted 16 points to go with eight rebounds and a pair of assists.
Taylor Fortin joined them in double figures with 12 points and six assists, while Cody Ball added seven points, three rebounds and four assists. Grant Mackay and Brenden Vessichio came off the bench to combine for 11 points and grab seven rebounds apiece.
Bentley was led by 32 points on 14-of-20 shooting from Ryan Richmond, while Zach Gilpin notched a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Ferguson Duke was the final Falcon in double figures with 11 points.
The two teams traded baskets to open the game until a three-pointer from Taggart followed by a tip-in from Tim Guers gave the Hawks a 14-11 lead with 13:29 remaining in the opening half. Guers scored again inside to extend the lead to 16-11, and Vessichio banked in a runner at the 10:44 mark to keep the Hawks in front 18-13.
After a 1-for-2 trip to the free throw line from Gilpin kept the Falcons within four at 20-16, Seth Stankiewicz drilled a three to pull Bentley to 20-19. Ryan Richmond converted a three-point play to put the Falcons in front 22-20 and a jumper from the sophomore nearly two minutes later kept Bentley ahead 24-21 with 7:30 to play in the half.
A driving score from Grant Mackay kicked off a 6-0 run by the Hawks that included a Chris Braley layup and a pair of Vessichio free throws to put Saint Anselm back on top 27-24. Bentley answered with four-straight points to take back the lead, and the two teams traded scores until Harrison Taggart tied the game at 33-33 with a three-pointer.
Bentley pulled ahead 37-33 on another Richmond score, but Cody Ball canned a triple to keep it a one-point game. Two Ferguson free throws put Bentley ahead 39-36 with 1:53 to play, but the Hawks scored the final four points of the period, including a nifty reverse layup from Guers before time expired, to give Saint Anselm a 40-39 lead headed into halftime.
Braley gave the Hawks a 48-42 lead early in the second half and he later kept Saint Anselm in front 52-48 with another score inside off a feed from Cody Ball. Bentley would not go away, however, as Ryan Richmond knocked down a three that tied the game at 58-58 with 13:14 remaining.
The Hawks answered with a 12-4 run over the next four minutes of play, capped by a Tim Guers three-ball that forced a Falcon timeout with Saint Anselm in front 70-62. A Braley jumper followed by two Mackay free throws would give the Hawks their largest lead of the game at 74-62 with 8:12 left in regulation.
Bentley continued to hang around, and after Braley scored another layup to keep Saint Anselm ahead 80-68 with 3:22 to play, the Falcons rattled off six-straight points to pull to 80-74. Ryan Richmond answered a pair of Fortin free throws with a jumper to keep it a six point game with less than a minute to play, and Matt Barr connected on a three pointer with 34 seconds left to make it an 83-79 game.
Guers, Braley and Ball traded perfect trips to the line with Richmond layups to keep the home team in front 89-83 and only 13 seconds left. Richmond knocked down a three with four seconds remaining to pull to within three at 89-86, but Braley capped his career night with two made free throws to help the Hawks hang on for the 91-86 victory.
The Hawks shot 51.7% (31-of-60) from the field while hitting 35.3% (6-of-17) of their three-pointers and 76.7% (23-of-30) of their free throws. Bentley ended the night shooting 42.9% (33-of-77) from the floor, 32% (8-of-25) from three and 60% (12-of-20) from the charity stripe. Saint Anselm dominated the glass, corralling 51 rebounds to just 33 for the Hawks, but committed 17 turnovers to just five for the visitors.
Saint Anselm improves to 2-2 overall and in the NE-10 with the victory, while Bentley falls to 4-3 and 2-2 in league games. The Hawks are back in action Saturday afternoon when they take on Merrimack College at 3:30 p.m. in Stoutenburgh Gymnasium.
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