WATERBURY, Conn. – The Saint Anselm College men's basketball team wrapped up 2016 with a 91-55 victory at Post University on Friday afternoon at the Drubner Center in Waterbury, Conn.
Box Score
The Hawks improve to 6-3 overall and return to action on Wednesday night when they return to Northeast-10 Conference action with a 7:30 p.m. game against Pace University at Stoutenburgh Gymnasium. Post falls to 5-8 overall with the setback.
Chris Braley connected on 11-of-14 shots en route to a game-high 23 points and nine rebounds in only 22 minutes of action. Taylor Fortin added 19 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Tim Guers had an all-around game with 15 points, nine rebounds, three assists, a pair of steals and a block. Cody Ball also chipped in eight rebounds with Harrison Taggart netting nine points and Grant Mackay scoring eight of his own.
Post was led by 11 points from Tyler Desrosiers, while Malcolm Amos added 10 points.
Harrison Taggart scored the first four points of the game before a 7-0 run by the Hawks capped by back-to-back layups from Cody Ball and Chris Braley put Saint Anselm in front 13-4 and forced a Post timeout with 15:07 to play in the opening half. After the Eagles pulled to within six at 15-9 following a Malcolm Amos triple, the two teams traded baskets until the Hawks built a 25-13 lead after a Taylor Fortin layup.
A quick 6-0 spurt by the home team made it a 25-19 game with 8:27 remaining, but Harrison Taggart knocked down a three-pointer to put the Hawks back in front 28-19. Taggart extended the lead to 30-21 with a layup just over a minute later, and the Eagles continued to hang around as five-straight points from Tyler Desrosiers trimmed the Saint Anselm lead to just 32-26 with just over four minutes left in the opening period.
Braley put the Hawks back on top 34-26 with a score inside and 2:17 remaining, before Cody Ball gave the Hawks a 10-point lead at 36-26 less than a minute later. Post would score the final four points of the period, however, as Saint Anselm took a 36-30 lead into the break behind 17 first half points from Chris Braley.
Out of the break, Braley converted a slashing drive with a soft touch off the glass as the Hawks extended their lead back to 45-34, and another score inside by the senior put Saint Anselm on top 47-34 with 17:08 to play. A Tim Guers pull-up jumper at the 16:34 mark capped a 13-4 run by the Hawks to open the second half.
The Hawks later used a 7-0 run, including four-straight points from Fortin and a triple from Tim Guers, to build a 58-39 lead with 13:17 remaining in the period. Grant Mackay and Kyle Green both scored inside on back-to-back possession to force a Post timeout with the visitors in front 62-40 and 11:50 to play.
The Saint Anselm lead grew to as many as 36 while never falling below 21 the rest of the way as the Hawks wrapped up 2016 with the 91-55 win on the road at Post.
Saint Anselm shot a blistering 59.3% (35-of-59) from the floor in the game, while only knocking down 4-of-14 (28.6%) of their threes and 89.5% (17-of-19) of their free throws. Post only managed 34.8% (24-of-60) shooting in the game, connecting on 4-of-18 (22.2%) of their three pointers and 3-of-6 (50%) of their free throws. The Hawks controlled the glass, holding a 43-29 edge in rebounding, while committing only 10 turnovers to 12 for the home team.
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