STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - Fifth-year
Tyler Arbuckle (Bristol, Conn.), junior transfer
Sean McCarthy (Cork, Ireland), and sophomore transfer
Josh Morissette (Exeter, N.H.) poured in 18 points each to lead the Saint Anselm College men's basketball team to their first win of the 2023-2024 season, defeating the College of Staten Island (CSI) on Friday evening, 92-69. The Hawks, who received votes in this year's first NABC Coaches poll, led by just six at halftime, but outscored the Dolphins 49-32 in the second half en route to a 23-point victory.
UP NEXT:
- Saint Anselm is back on the hardwood on Saturday, November 11th at 12:00 p.m., facing Saint Thomas Aquinas College in Staten Island, N.Y. to conclude the Staten Island Tournament of Heroes.
Score: Saint Anselm 92, Staten Island 69
Records: Saint Anselm (1-0); Staten Island (0-1)
Location: Staten Island, N.Y. (Sports and Recreation Center)
Date: Friday, November 10, 2023
Attendance: 300
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- After trading baskets to open the game, Staten Island soon got out to a 22-13 lead courtesy of a 16-7 scoring run. Two three-pointers by Luis Armas and an additional triple by Chris Clancy, along with aggressive full-court pressure, helped the Dolphins generate early momentum. McCarthy scored seven of the first nine points for Saint Anselm.
- 37th-year head coach Keith Dickson responded by turning to his bench. Junior Zac Taylor (Victoria, Australia) and freshman Jordan Horne (Newport News, Va.) quickly entered the game and provided the Hawks with a seven-to-two mini-run to close the margin to 25-20, CSI. Horne got to the rim for his first two collegiate baskets, while Taylor knocked down his first three of the season during that two minute stretch.
- After missing his first four field goals as a Hawk, Morissette started to catch fire late in the first half, drilling three-pointers on three consecutive offensive possessions to put Saint Anselm in front, 31-29, for their first lead of the night. His third made triple forced a Staten Island timeout with 4:51 remaining in the first half.
- Clancy knocked down two more three-pointers for the Dolphins, but solid play-making and a last-second layup by Arbuckle helped the Hawks increase their lead to six points by halftime.
- Arbuckle continued his stellar play early in the second half, sparking a 10-2 Saint Anselm run with eight points of his own, including a three-point field goal as well as an old-fashioned three-point play.
- With under 13 minutes to go, McCarthy drilled four straight free throws in a 27-second span to put the Hawks ahead, 63-45.
- Taylor and Horne reentered the game and provided another scoring surge for Saint Anselm. Taylor nailed another shot from long-distance, while Horne poured in seven straight points for the Hawks, including his first career three-ball, as Saint Anselm went ahead, 80-59.
- Morissette dropped in five more points in the final four minutes of action, while junior transfer Jack Reardon (Munster, Ind.) scored his first points for Saint Anselm for their final field goal of the game as the Hawks cruised to a 92-69 win over the Dolphins.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Saint Anselm was efficient from the field, shooting 56.9% while making 33-of-58 shots. The Hawks also shot 37.5% (9-24) from beyond the arc and made 17 out of 23 free throw attempts.
- Staten Island struggled from the field, making 27 out of 71 shots (38%) and just eight out of 30 three-point attempts (26.6%). The Dolphins only got to the free-throw line seven times, connecting on all seven.
- The Hawks also had success on the glass, hauling in 40 total rebounds in comparison to 28 for the Dolphins.
- Five Saint Anselm student-athletes registered double-figures in the scoring column. Arbuckle, McCarthy, and Morissette all had 18 points (a collegiate career-high for Morissette), while Horne scored 13 points in his collegiate debut and Taylor notched 10 points to go along with six rebounds. Junior Keith Robinson (Phillip Island, Australia) added eight points of his own.
- McCarthy grabbed a team-high 12 boards for his first double-double of the season, while Arbuckle hauled in eight rebounds and dished out a team-best five assists.
- This was the first-ever meeting between these two programs.
STAY CONNECTED:
