ALBANY, N.Y. – The Saint Anselm College women's basketball team held onto a lead for the entire game, defeating the College of Saint Rose by a 77-63 margin on Tuesday in Northeast-10 Conference play.
The Hawks, winners of four in a row over the Golden Knights, improve to 10-7 overall on the year and to 6-4 against NE10 opponents. Saint Rose drops to 3-9 overall and to 2-6 versus the league.
Senior Peyton Steinman (Pittsfield, Mass.) dropped 29 points in the victory, making 10-of-21 shots from the floor while adding four rebounds. Matching a career-high with five three-point baskets in the game, Steinman has now scored at least 25 points in seven of her 17 games to date. Her 135 career three-point baskets moves her into fifth all-time in team history, passing Katie Qualter '97 and her 133 treys.
Sophomore Gabby Turco (Wildwood, N.J.) reached a career-best mark with 27 points, dishing out a team-leading three assists. Senior Jenoyce Laniyan (Bedford, N.H.) had a career-high eight rebounds in 15 minutes of game play. Saint Anselm matched a season-high by shooting 50% from the floor (27-for-54) and also shot 50% from distance (9-for-18) in the victory.
Ahead by just one point shortly into the second half after Saint Rose scored 15 of the game's 20 points between the second and third quarters, Saint Anselm put the game away with a 16-5 scoring run in the third quarter and added a game-high 27 points in the fourth quarter for good measure.
Saint Anselm jumped out to a 17-9 advantage in the first quarter as hot shooting fueled the strong offensive start. The Hawks made seven of their first 13 field goal attempts as five scorers found the stat sheet – the hosts were limited to just four made field goals and committed three turnovers.
The Hawks maintained a strong lead in the second quarter, growing their advantage to 28-16 with 4:45 left in the first half. Turco poured home two three-point baskets in that span and the Hawks did not miss their other two shots, a Hoyt and-one alongside a layup from Laniyan.
After the strong comeback attempt made by Saint Rose that trimmed the lead to just one point, 36-33, Steinman was strong for the Hawks in the second half. At one point, the senior scored 11 consecutive points for her team to build a seven-point bulge for Saint Anselm, 50-43, after three quarters of play. She ultimately produced 13 of her team's 16 points in the third stanza.
Becca Townes had 18 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three steals to lead Saint Rose, who won the rebounding battle, 33-to-32.
The Hawks head to Southern Connecticut State on Saturday, Jan. 29 for a 1:30 p.m. tilt with the Owls.
