Box Score
RINDGE, N.H. – The Saint Anselm College women's basketball team made it seven-straight wins with a 78-70 victory at Franklin Pierce University on Wednesday night in Northeast-10 Conference action. The Hawks improve to 14-6 overall and 10-5 in the NE-10, while the Ravens fall to 11-9 and 8-7 in league games.
The Hawks seven game winning-streak is the longest stretch since February of 2004 as Saint Anselm also won seven-straight games from February 4 to February 29.
Ali Glennon (Bedford, N.H.) scored a season-high 19 points, including 5-of-8 triples, to lead Saint Anselm. Samnell Vonleh (Swampscott, Mass.) posted a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Caitlyn Abela (North Easton, Mass.) hit four three-pointers en route to 15 points.
Raquel Johnson (Inglewood, Calif.) rounded out the top scorers with 11 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Candace Andrews nearly had a double-double of her own with nine points, eight assists, and four steals.
Franklin Pierce was led by 19 points from Kara Charette, while Jemma Thacker had 16 points, eight rebounds, and four assists off the bench. Natalie Bastian scored 15 points, with Dyamond Gardner posting six points, eight rebounds, and seven assists.
Candace Andrews opened the scoring with back-to-back baskets inside, and Raquel Johnson slipped a pass to Samnell Vonleh for a bucket as the Hawks opened the game on a 6-0 run and forced a Franklin Pierce timeout. The Ravens got a basket inside from Natalie Bastian, but Caitlyn Abela canned a three in the corner to make it a 9-2 game in the opening minutes of the game. Another bucket from Vonleh followed by a three in the corner from Abela extended the lead to 14-8 with 6:11 remaining in the first.
Saint Anselm used a 7-2 run capped off by a Kaila Duarte (Dorchester, Mass.) score inside to pull ahead 21-10, and the two teams traded baskets the rest of the period as the Hawks took a 23-14 lead at the end of one quarter.
Franklin Pierce opened the second stanza on a 9-0 run to pull even with the Hawks after a Jemma Thacker jumper. Abela ended the run with a triple from the wing, and Glennon answered a Dana Campbell score with a triple of her own to give Saint Anselm a 29-25 lead with under five minutes remaining in the half.
Vonleh scored inside to extend the lead to 31-25, but the Ravens ended the half on a 9-1 run, capped off by a Jasmyne Fogle jumper as time expired, and outscored the Hawks 20-9 in the quarter to take a 34-32 advantage into the break.
After the Ravens opened the half with a three from Bastian, a three-point play from Abela followed by a Vonleh bucket and another Abela triple, the Hawks took back the lead at 40-37. Andrews found Glennon for a three in transition after another Saint Anselm stop and the Ravens were forced to burn a timeout with the Hawks on top 43-37.
Abela canned another triple and Raquel Johnson tipped home a miss to cap off a 16-2 run from Saint Anselm to give the Hawks a 48-39 lead with 5:47 to play. After a pair of Kara Charette free throws, Johnson scored inside to keep it a nine point advantage. Ali Glennon connected on a three and Kaila Duarte scored on a put-back to give the Hawks a 57-43 lead with 2:43 to play in the third, and the Hawks took a 59-45 edge into the final quarter of play.
Back-to-back scores from Johnson and Duarte put the Hawks on top 63-47, and Jemma Thacker connected on a three for Franklin Pierce to make it a 63-50 game. Thacker answered with another three following a Vonleh bucket to keep the Ravens within 12, and a Natalie Bastian triple cut the Saint Anselm lead to 66-56 with 5:03 remaining.
Bastian kept it a 10 point game with another three from the top of the key with 2:59 to play, but Ali Glennon connected on a three of her own with 1:23 remaining to give Saint Anselm a 73-61 advantage. Franklin Pierce was forced to foul down the stretch, and Ali Glennon and Candace Andrews combined to go 5-for-8 at the charity stripe to hang on for the 78-70 victory.
The Hawks held a 34-31 advantage in rebounds and committed only 10 turnovers to 12 for the Ravens. Saint Anselm shot 49.1% (28-of-57) from the floor including 10-of-19 (52.6%) three-pointers.
Saint Anselm goes for their eighth-straight win on Saturday afternoon when the Hawks travel to Merrimack College for a 1:00 p.m. meeting with the Warriors.
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