Box Score
RINDGE, N.H. – The #7-ranked Saint Anselm College men's basketball team suffered only their third setback of the season as the Hawks fell to Franklin Pierce University, 79-76, on Wednesday night in Northeast-10 Conference action in Rindge, N.H.
The Hawks fall to 17-3 overall and 12-3 in the NE-10, while Franklin Pierce improves to 12-8 and 9-6 in league games.
Harrison Taggart (Wallingford, Vt.) scored 18 points to go with four rebounds and three assists to lead the Hawks. Tim Guers (Langhorne, Pa.) added 16 points and a pair of steals, while Victor Joshua (New Haven, Conn.) had 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three blocks. Chris Braley (Newport, Maine) just missed a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds.
Franklin Pierce received 24 points off the bench from Matt Banton, who hit 6-of-8 three-pointers in the second half. Mike McDevitt added 21 points and eight rebounds, while Donte Gittens had 15 points and Tyler Iacuone scored 10 points to go with eight rebounds.
The Ravens held a 45-35 advantage in rebounding, grabbing 15 offensive boards that led to 18 second chance points. Both teams were solid from the field as the Hawks shot 44.4% from the floor and the Ravens knocked down 41.4% of their attempts.
Saint Anselm jumped out to an early 13-4 lead after Mike McCahey (Clarkstown, N.Y.) hit a pair of layups and forced a Franklin Pierce timeout. The teams traded perfect trips to the charity stripe, and Mike McDevitt hit a jumper to pull the Ravens to within 15-8 with 14:02 to play in the opening half. Tim Guers answered with a triple at the other end and banked in a runner in the lane to put the Hawks back on top 20-8.
With 9:29 to play, Tyler Iacuone capped a 7-0 run from the Ravens to get the home team within five at 22-17. A personal 5-0 run from Harrison Taggart extended the lead back to 27-17, and Victor Joshua connected on a triple at the 1:42 mark of the half to push the Hawk lead to 14 at 35-21. Taggart scored the final basket of the period on a wide-open layup to give Saint Anselm a 37-24 lead headed into the break.
Tim Guers hit a pair of free throws to open the second half and then scored a layup inside as the Hawks extended their lead to 41-26. Franklin Pierce answered with an 8-5 run to pull back to within 12 at 46-34, but a score on the break from Cody Ball (Londonderry, N.H.) followed by a 1-for-2 trip at the free throw line and a score inside from Braley extended the lead back to 51-37 with 13:49 remaining.
Victor Joshua converted a layup and was fouled, but could not finish the three-point play as Matt Banton stole the ball after a Hawk defensive rebound and connected on a three to pull the Ravens back to within 13 at 53-40. The two teams traded baskets until Matt Banton nailed his third triple of the half to make it an 11-point game at 57-46. Donte Gittens hit a pair of free throws at the 11:01 mark as Franklin Pierce cut the deficit to single digits at 57-48, and Banton hit his fourth three of the game under a minute later to make it a 57-51 game.
Joshua connected on a pair of free throws and then scored on the break to push the Saint Anselm lead back to 10, but Gittens answered with a three-point play to keep the Ravens close at 61-54. Jacob Jacquo and Harrison Taggart traded threes and eventually Banton scooped home a layup to make it a 66-59 ball game as the Ravens called timeout.
After a stop by the home team, Banton hit another triple to make it a two possession game at 66-62 with 7:17 remaining, and two McDevitt freebies just under a minute later pulled the home team to within two points at 66-64. McCahey scored inside, but Iacuone corralled a loose ball and hit a three to make it a 68-67 game. Gittens converted inside with just under four minutes to play to give Franklin Pierce a 71-70 lead.
Chris Braley hit a layup to take the lead back, but Banton rattled in a jumper from the free throw line to keep the Ravens in front 73-72 with 3:09 remaining. Out of a timeout, Victor Joshua canned a free throw line jumper of his own to give the Hawks a 74-73 lead, and the teams traded empty possessions until Gittens banked home a runner from the right side with less than a minute to play to put the Ravens back on top 75-74.
Gittens extended the lead to 77-74 with two free throws and 23 seconds remaining, and Victor Joshua scored with under 10 seconds play to keep the Hawks within one at 77-76. Saint Anselm was forced to foul and Matt Banton knocked down a pair to give the Ravens a three point advantage and 7.6 seconds left. The Hawks raced down the floor and Victor Joshua had a good look at a triple, but the ball caromed off the rim and into the hands of Gittens as the Ravens escaped with the 79-76 victory.
Saint Anselm will try and get back on track on Saturday afternoon as the Hawks travel to Merrimack College for a 3:30 p.m. NE-10 game.
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