MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Saint Anselm College men's basketball team cruised to an 88-57 victory over the University of New Haven on Saturday afternoon in Northeast-10 Conference action at Stoutenburgh Gymnasium in Manchester, N.H.
Box Score
The Hawks picked up their sixth-straight win to improve to 12-6 overall and 8-6 in the NE10, while New Haven falls to 11-9 and 6-8 in league games. Saint Anselm will host preseason favorite Franklin Pierce University on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. and are looking to avenge a 76-71 setback to the Ravens earlier this season.
Taylor Fortin nearly posted a triple-double with 22 points, eight rebounds 11 assists and three steals on the night, while Tim Guers found himself back over 30 points as the sophomore scored a game-high 31 points to go with three rebounds, four assists and three steals. Cody Ball and Chris Braley scored seven points apiece, with Braley grabbing seven rebounds of his own.
Senior Harrison Taggart returned to the starting lineup for the first time since Dec. 30 and scored 10 points to go with two rebounds and four assists in 23 minutes of action.
New Haven was led by 14 points from Michael Bourke, with Mihailo Vasic adding 12 points. Kessly Felizor just missed a double-double with nine points and 13 rebounds.
The Chargers scored the first five points of the game before Fortin, Braley and Ball each scored to give the Hawks a 6-5 advantage. The two teams traded baskets until Bourke answered a Grant Mackay basket to make it a 22-19 Saint Anselm lead with 7:20 to play in the first half.
Cody Ball would bury a triple on the next possession that sparked a 12-0 run by the Hawks, including five points from Guers, that stretched the lead to 34-19 and 4:19 remaining. Bourke ended the run with a jumper, but a three from Fortin and four-straight free throws from Guers made it a 41-21 game two minutes later.
Chris Braley would score the final four points of the period – including a monster dunk before halftime – to give Saint Anselm a commanding 47-25 lead headed into the break.
The two teams traded baskets early in the second half, and a pair of Bourke free throws at the 17:02 mark pulled the Chargers to within 52-33. With the Hawks ahead 55-35 a minute later, Fortin and Guers knocked down back-to-back threes before Taggart scored inside to make it an 8-0 run that put the game out of reach at 63-35.
The Hawks would build leads in excess of 35 the rest of the way as Saint Anselm coasted to the 88-57 victory.
Saint Anselm shot 47.1% (32-of-68) from the field with 23 assists, 40.6% (13-of-32) from beyond the arc and 84.6% (11-of-13) from the charity stripe in the win. New Haven knocked down 36.8% (21-of-57) of their shots, 15% (3-of-20) of their threes and 70.6% (12-of-17) of their free throws. The Hawks outrebounded the Chargers, 39-36, and committed only eight turnovers to 18 for the visitors.
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