MANCHESTER, N.H. – Senior Peyton Steinman (Pittsfield, Mass.) had a record-matching game for the Saint Anselm College women's basketball team as the Hawks snuck past Southern New Hampshire University on Tuesday by a 79-76 margin.
Saint Anselm improves to 11-10 on the year and to 7-7 in the Northeast-10 Conference while the Penmen, who are receiving votes in the Women's Basketball Coaches' Association National Poll, drop to 15-5 on the year and to 9-4 versus the league.
Steinman matched the program record with 43 points, making 17 of her 20 free throws across the 45-minute affair. She equaled the record-setting point production of Rachel Jackson '85 at Dartmouth on Nov. 28, 1984 and the single-game free throws mark of Kristen Skoglund '96 versus Mercyhurst on Dec. 28, 1995.
The senior also reached 1,638 career points with the impressive effort, matching Liz Cranmer '91 for third place all-time on the career point scoring list at Saint Anselm. So far this season across 21 games, Steinman is averaging 20.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, reaching 400 points for the third consecutive season (434).
The Hawks led by five points with 19 seconds left in regulation time, 66-61, but five missed free throws in total across the last 48 seconds of regulation kept the hosts within striking distance. These misses set up Southern New Hampshire to dramatically tie the game down the stretch as the Penmen utilized a game-tying three-point basket with mere seconds on the clock to force overtime.
Saint Anselm kept its composure to begin the overtime period, scoring 10 of the first 14 points of overtime to build a six-point lead with 1:04 to go. Steinman had seven points in the extra frame while junior Liv Robles (Wallingford, Conn.) hit a key triple that fueled the strong stretch of play by Saint Anselm. Southern New Hampshire hit two three-pointers in the final 41 seconds, but the Hawks held on for the victory.
Sophomore Gabby Turco (Wildwood, N.J.) also had a huge game for Saint Anselm, scoring 20 points off seven field goals. She also reeled in five rebounds and handed out four assists. Turco and Steinman combined for 63 of their team's 79 points.
The Penmen opened up a 13-5 lead over the Hawks in the first quarter, stunning Saint Anselm by shooting six-for-eight from the floor and getting point production from four student-athletes. The Hawks responded well, producing a 19-6 scoring run that shot the visitors into the lead with 8:23 left in the first half.
With the score tied at 30 with 3:10 to go in the second quarter, the Hawks scored the final four points of the first half with a trey from Steinman with 26 ticks to go. Saint Anselm carried a 34-30 lead into halftime, thanks to 17 from Steinman in the first half – in total, the Penmen committed 11 turnovers in the first two quarters and the Hawks racked up seven steals.
Southern New Hampshire took a 39-36 lead coming out of the break, using a 9-2 scoring run to push past Saint Anselm in the early stages of the third. The Hawks swung the momentum back in their favor, scoring 10 of the game's next 13 points to recapture the lead, a four-point bulge (46-42) with 1:19 left in the third quarter.
The Hawks led by as many as six points in the fourth quarter, but the Penmen would not go down without a fight. Southern New Hampshire shot 46.7% from the floor in the game's final 10 minutes, rallying to tie the game with the help of late missed free throws by Saint Anselm. In total, the Hawks were sent to the line 19 times in the final quarter of regulation, missing eight of those attempts.
Southern New Hampshire, who was led by a career-high 31 point performance from Karlee Ziliak, held the edge in rebounds (43-to-40), but were whistled for 21 of the game's 33 fouls. The Hawks shot over 42% from the floor in the game, including a 60% percentage in overtime, to lock down the win over the hosts.
The Hawks head to Assumption this Thursday, Feb. 10 at 5:30 p.m. in NE10 play.
