MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Saint Anselm College women's basketball team posted a 76-75 loss to Southern New Hampshire University on Friday in a non-league tilt.
Saint Anselm drops to 0-1 following the loss while Southern New Hampshire, who hit the game-tying and go-ahead free throws with 11 seconds left in regulation time, moves to 1-0. The Hawks had two chances to answer as time expired, missing both a driving layup and a jumper at the buzzer.
Dominican (N.Y.) and SNHU will battle on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. in Stoutenburgh Gymnasium while the Hawks will take on the Chargers to cap the three-day Saint Anselm Classic at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 13.
Junior Gabby Turco (Wildwood, N.J.) led student-athletes from both teams with 27 points (matching a career-high) via 11-for-18 shooting. Adding a team-best seven rebounds in defeat, she was joined by senior Liv Robles (Wallingford, Conn.) and her career-high 14 points in her first collegiate start.
Senior Macy Spinks (Luton, England) added 10 points and seven rebounds for the Hawks, who outshot the Penmen by a 50.8%-to-41.9% margin from the floor. The difference for the Hawks came at the free-throw line as Southern New Hampshire made 19 of its 25 freebies to pull away.
Freshman Gia Gaccione (Rutherford, N.J.), in her collegiate debut, scored eight points in 13 minutes of work.
With neither team gaining a sizeable advantage greater than six points, Saint Anselm and Southern New Hampshire played to 14 tied scores and 14 total lead changes. It was the Penmen, however, that built up a 72-67 lead with 4:36 to go in regulation time, capping off a 13-8 scoring run that created the five-point bulge.
Saint Anselm closed the game on an 8-2 scoring run, briefly taking a 75-74 lead with 1:12 to go following a layup by Turco. Following a turnover by the Penmen just 12 seconds later, the Penmen defense did not allow the Hawks to get a quality shot off as Turco triple with 37 ticks left would not go.
Taking the ball back, and using several timeouts, the Penmen attempted to run a play but were fouled in the process, sending Adriana Timberlake to the line with 11 seconds remaining. She made both of her attempts, giving her team a 76-75 advantage as well as the ball back to Saint Anselm late.
Carrying the ball right to the hoop, a Turco layup caromed strongly off the bottom of the backboard where it was dug out nicely by McKenzy Ouellette (West Newfield, Maine) in a crowd. Sending the ball backward, a bank shot by the Hawks off the glass kicked off the right side of the rim and onto the court as the horn sounded.
