BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – Behind a career-high 36 points from senior Harrison Taggart, the Saint Anselm College men's basketball team held on for an 87-83 victory over Bridgeport University on Monday afternoon at the Hubbell Gymnasium in Bridgeport, Conn.
Box Score
The Hawks improve to 5-3 overall with the win and will wrap up their four game road trip that ends 2016 on Friday, Dec. 30 with a 3:30 p.m. game at Post University.
Taggart connected on 9-of-16 shots, 5-of-7 three-pointers and 13-of-14 free throws en route to his career-best point total. He also added seven rebounds and five assists for the Hawks. Taylor Fortin also posted a new career-best with 19 points to go with five rebounds, six assists and a pair of steals. Cody Ball chipped in eight points, while Chris Braley and Kyle Green had seven points apiece. Tim Guers had an all-around game with five points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Bridgeport (7-4) was led by a double-double of 25 points and 14 rebounds from Kyle Benjamin, while Stefano Osuji added 23 points of his own.
The first half was a back-and-forth battle as a jumper from Harrison Taggart tied the game at 7-7 with 16:32 to play in the period. Bridgeport eventually took a 14-10 lead after a dunk from Kyle Benjamin, but the Hawks answered with an 8-0 run on triples from Taylor Fortin and Taggart and a reverse layup by Brenden Vessichio to pull ahead 18-14. The two teams continued to trade baskets until a three-pointer from Taggart forced a Bridgeport timeout with the Hawks on top 23-20 and 11:04 remaining.
Bridgeport responded with five-straight points including a three-point play from Kyle Benjamin to take a 25-23 advantage, but Fortin answered on the other end with a runner in the paint to knot the game at 25-all. The lead changed hands several more times over the next few minutes, and another triple from Taggart gave the Hawks a 31-29 lead with 8:05 remaining, but Carlos DeJesus canned a triple of his own to put the Purple Knights back in front 32-31. After a Bridgeport steal, Rakim Lesane hit a jumper to force a Saint Anselm timeout with 6:10 remaining and the home team on top, 34-31.
The stoppage worked as Taggart knocked down a pair of free throws and then found Chris Braley for a layup as the Hawks grabbed the lead back at 35-34. After another stop on defense, Taggart buried a triple before Braley scored again inside to cap a 9-0 run that put Saint Anselm in front 40-34.
Bridgeport trimmed the Saint Anselm lead to 40-38 on two D'Vonne Trumbo free throws, and Kyle Green scored on the other end to keep the Hawks in front 42-38. Taylor Fortin and Cody Ball each scored layups in the closing minute of the half to give the Hawks a 46-38 lead headed into the break.
The Purple Knights forced their way back into the game as Sam Joseph sandwiched baskets around a Tim Guers layup to make it a 50-46 game with 16:18 to play in the half. Less than a minute later, Stefano Osuji knocked down a triple before Kyle Benjamin buried a turnaround jumper to put Bridgeport in front 51-50.
A 1-for-2 trip at the charity stripe from Kyle Green tied the game at 55-55, and Cody Ball hit a corner jumper to put the Hawks ahead 57-55 with 11:37 to play in the period. After the Purple Knights cut the lead to 62-61 on a put-back dunk by Benjamin, Harrison Taggart scored four-straight points to give the Hawks a 66-61 advantage, and Braley went 1-for-2 at the line to give Saint Anselm a 67-61 lead with 7:49 to play. On the ensuing Bridgeport possession, Cody Ball blocked a three-point attempt by DeJesus and cruised in for an easy dunk to extend the lead to 69-61.
With the Hawks in front 69-63, Harrison Taggart drew a foul and Bridgeport was assessed a technical leading to four made free throws for Taggart to take a 73-63 advantage. Bridgeport scored on back-to-back trips to cut it back to 73-67, but Taggart answered on the other end with a triple for his 30th point of the night to put Saint Anselm back on top 76-67.
Bridgeport continued to dig a deeper hole to climb out of as they were given another technical foul with less than five minutes to play, leading to four more free throws for Taggart that gave the Hawks an 80-69 lead. The Purple Knights weren't done yet however as they used an 8-0 run capped by an Osuji three-pointer that made it an 80-77 game with 2:39 to play.
On the next Hawk possession, Taylor Fortin buried a corner three to make it a two-possession game at 83-77, but Kyle Benjamin eventually scored on an offensive rebound as the Purple Knights called timeout trailing 83-79 and 1:06 remaining in the half.
The Hawks worked the clock down on their next possession, but worked it a little too well as they were called for a shot clock violation giving the ball back to Bridgeport. Benjamin back-rimmed a dunk attempt with 25 seconds left, but the Purple Knights eventually forced a foul leading to a pair of free throws for D'Vonne Trumbo and 14 seconds left with the Hawks in front 83-81.
Fortin was fouled on the ensuing inbound play and he calmly knocked down the pair to make it a four point game. The Purple Knights came up the floor and missed a three-pointer as Taggart corralled the rebound and was fouled to ice the game. He knocked down his two free throws and Trumbo scored a layup before the final horn to give the game its final score of 87-83.
The Hawks shot 45% (27-of-60) from the floor, 47.4% (9-of-19) from three and 85.7% (24-of-28) from the charity stripe in the win. Bridgeport knocked down 48% (36-of-75) of their shots, while converting 26.3% (5-of-19) of their threes and 85.7% (6-of-7) of their free throws. The Hawks held a 40-33 advantage in rebounds, while Bridgeport won the turnover battle with five missteps to 10 for Saint Anselm.
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