COLCHESTER, Vt. – In the final game of 2021 for the Saint Anselm College women's basketball team, the Hawks returned to Northeast-10 Conference play and earned a 67-44 victory at Saint Michael's College on Thursday.
Saint Anselm has now won eight consecutive games against its Green Mountain State rival, moving to 7-5 overall on the year and to 3-2 against Northeast-10 Conference opponents. Saint Michael's drops to 3-7 on the season while falling in three of their first four contests against league foes. The Hawks hold the edge in the all-time series, 55-24.
Ahead by just three points through the first quarter of action, Saint Anselm put the game out of reach with a 15-0 scoring stretch to open the second stanza. The Hawks ended the first half on a 9-0 run, building a 42-20 lead at the break. In total, Saint Anselm outscored Saint Michael's by a 24-5 margin in the second quarter on the way to the victory.
Sophomore Gabby Turco (Wildwood, N.J.) led the way for Saint Anselm with 19 points and 11 rebounds, recording her first career double-double. Junior McKenzy Ouellette (West Newfield, Maine) put home 10 points with a career-high four steals and four rebounds. Sophomore Alexa Quirolo (New Rochelle, N.Y.) posted six points, also a career-high.
Freshman Melanie Hoyt (Stamford, N.Y.) produced eight points and as many rebounds while senior Peyton Steinman (Pittsfield, Mass.) logged 12 points with six rebounds. Senior Macy Spinks (Luton, England) matched Steinman and Turco with four assists, ending the afternoon with seven points of her own.
The Hawks made eight of their 15 first-half shots from beyond the arc, setting a season-high for three-point production in just the first 20 minutes. The Hawks also committed just two miscues in the first 20 minutes of game play, scoring 17 of their 42 points off turnovers. Saint Anselm enjoyed a 22-point halftime lead, thanks to six Hawks who put home at least three points in the second.
Saint Anselm only outscored the Purple Knights by a 25-24 margin in the final 20 minutes, but the big 24-point second quarter for the visitors proved to be the difference. The Hawks finished with 10 treys and doubled up the Purple Knights on the offensive glass, 14-7. Saint Anselm hauled in 45 rebounds, beating the previous season-high for caroms by five.
Molly Brophy led Saint Michael's with 12 points. Nicole Ladas had 11 rebounds and Makayla Blake had 11 points off the bench.
Saint Anselm returns to action Wednesday, Jan. 5 for a 5:30 p.m. showdown at Assumption.
