Box Score
MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Saint Anselm College women's basketball team wrapped up the 2015-16 regular season with a 65-48 victory over Southern New Hampshire University on Tuesday night in Northeast-10 Conference action at the SNHU Fieldhouse in Manchester, N.H.
Candace Andrews (Boston, Mass.) led four players in double-figures with 16 points, four rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. Caitlyn Abela (North Easton, Mass.) added 14 points, including 4-of-9 three-point attempts, while Raquel Johnson (Inglewood, Calif.) and Ali Glennon (Bedford, N.H.) netted 10 points apiece. Samnell Vonleh (Swampscott, Mass.) registered a game-high 14 rebounds to go with six blocks for the Hawks (18-8, 14-7 NE-10).
The Penmen (14-13, 8-13 NE-10) were led by 12 points and five rebounds off the bench from Sara Ryan, while Erin Doherty had eight points and four rebounds. Jennifer Shelp led SNHU with seven rebounds on the night.
The Hawks shot 44.4% (28-of-63) from the floor in the game while holding Southern New Hampshire to just 27.6% (16-of-58) shooting. Saint Anselm held a 41-39 advantage in rebounds and committed only eight turnovers to 13 for the hosts.
Southern New Hampshire scored two of the first three baskets in the game before Samnell Vonleh found Raquel Johnson inside to tie the game at 4-4. The basket sparked a 10-0 run by the Hawks, including a pair of Ali Glennon layups and a Candace Andrews score, to make it a 12-4 game. Kaila Duarte (Dorchester, Mass.) answered a Sara Ryan layup with a bucket of her own, and Caitlyn Abela ended the opening quarter with a jumper to put the Hawks on top 16-6.
An Andrews pull-up jumper put the Hawks on top 21-8, and she later kept it a 13-point game with a layup inside to give Saint Anselm a 27-14 lead with 5:25 to play. A Duarte score made it a 29-17 game, and as the game entered the closing seconds of the first half, Andrews found Abela for a three in transition that the junior buried to give the Hawks a 32-17 lead headed into the half.
Glennon rolled in a layup that put the Hawks on top 38-19 with 8:16 to play in the third and Abela banked home a three to make it a 21-point game at 44-23 headed into the first media timeout. Another Glennon score on a runner doubled-up the lead to 46-23, before a triple from SNHU's Sara Ryan cut the lead back to 20. Ryan's third three-ball of the game as time expired in the third made it a 50-31 game headed into the final period.
Despite the small push from the Penmen, the Hawks lead grew to as many as 28 in the final quarter and never fell below 17 as Saint Anselm cruised to the 65-48 victory.
Saint Anselm has earned a bye in the First Round of the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament and will host a Quarterfinal game on Sunday, February 28 at 2:00 p.m. with their opponent to be determined.
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