SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Melanie Hoyt (Stamford, N.Y.) led the Hawks with a career-high 31 points as the team defeated American Int'l 74-72 in regulation.
UP NEXT:
- Saint Anselm hosts their first game of the 2024 campaign on Wednesday November 13th with a 5:30PM slated tipoff against Saint Michael's College.
Score: Saint Anselm 74, American Int'l 72
Records: Saint Anselm (2-1, 1-0 NE10), American Int'l (2-1, 0-1 NE10)
Location: Springfield, Mass. (Henry A. Butova Gymnasium)
Date: Wednesday, November 13th, 2024
Attendance: 317
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The first quarter would jump to an even battle with the teams opening at 6 a-piece as Katie Lemanski (Haymarket, Va.) and Melanie Hoyt (Stamford, N.Y.) led the charge for the Hawks. Saint Anselm would find themselves with an advantage as freshman Addisen Sulikowski (Saco, Maine) banged home a triple and tabbed a fast break layup, putting the visitors up 17-8. American Int'l would find their response in Ahliya Phillips responding in transition bringing the game back to within four to end the quarter.
- The second quarter began with the Yellowjackets evening the competition with a beyond the arch shot from Christi Ruzgar Boyle. Halfway through the period Saint Anselm would attempt to break through with a five point lead as Elise MacNair (Old Orchard Beach, Maine) joined the the 3-point club. American Int'l would keep it close through a pair of free throws and impressive tip in. Going into halftime the Yellowjackets would remain in the lead 33-29 as Eden Monka took a successful trip to the charity stripe.
- Coming out of halftime MacNair would continue to shine, opening play with a layup and feeding teammate Marta Pons Gomez (Sevilla, Spain) for a pull up jump shot. The two teams continue the battle exchanging threes and lay ups throughout the third. Saint Anselm found their biggest lead at six points with Pons Gomez tallying another nice jump shot. A following run from American Int'l turned their six down slump into a one point lead going into the final period.
- In the fourth quarter Hoyt and Sulikowski would take over for the Hawks helping lead the team to another five point lead, 63-58, halfway through the period. Saint Anselm held their biggest lead of the quarter with four minutes left to play as a dagger of a three pointer from Sulikowski threatened to silence the Yellowjackets. American Int'l would not lay down, evening the score at 72 a-piece off of a Peyton Grant triple. Queue in Hoyt, fed from Lemanski, would call game on a strong post move to secure a Hawks victory.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Saint Anselm shot 33-59 from the floor on the afternoon, a 55.9% mark. From distance the team struggled from distance only making four out of 20 attempts. American Int'l went 26-62 from the floor, an 41.9% mark. From a distance the Yellowjackets found more success from behind the arch hitting nine of 24 attempts.
- The Hawks converted on 4-7 of their free throw attempts (57.1%), while the Yellowjackets went 11-14 from the charity stripe, a 78.6% success rate.
- The battle of the boards was won by the Hawks as they pulled down 35 boards, while American Int'l tabbed 30. The Yellowjackets bench provided 11 points for the team, while the Hawks found just six bench points. Saint Anselm dominated the paint battle scoring 48 points, while American Int'l grabbed 28.
- Saint Anselm committed 20 turnovers in the game compared to just 14 from the home team, with the home team capitalizing and scoring 28 points from the turnovers.
- Hoyt (14-17 FG, 3-4 FT) led the Hawks with a career-high 31 points, tabbing seven rebounds to go alongside two assists. Sulikowski (10-18 FG, 3-11 3PT) followed behind with her own career high of 23 points to go with 11 rebounds.
- Christina Ruzgar Boyle (8-19 FG, 6-15 3PT, 1-2 FT) led the Yellowjackets scoring 23 points in 37 minutes of action.
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