MANCHESTER, N.H.  – The Saint Anselm College men's basketball team won an overtime thriller in a non-conference matchup against Saint Michael's College, 85-78, at Stoutenburgh Gymnasium on Wednesday.
 
Highlights 

• This marked the 132nd all-time meeting between these two programs. Saint Anselm improves to 76-56 overall against Saint Michael's in the series that began in 1939. Tonight was the first of three matchups the two teams will have this season.
• This was the first overtime game for the Hawks since a 112-109 double overtime loss against Daemen University on Dec. 31, 2023. This was the first overtime win by Saint Anselm since defeating New Haven, 81-79, in the NE10 Quarterfinals on Feb. 28, 2022.
• Redshirt sophomore Jovan Ristic led the Hawks with 17 points, shooting 70% (7-10) from the field with seven rebounds and one assist.
• Senior Josh Morissette scored 13 points and knocked down three shots from long range, while junior Jack Medalie had 11 points, going 4-8 from the field and 3-4 from deep with five rebounds, two blocks, and a steal.
• Sophomore Will Davies filled up the stat sheet, recording nine points with a career-high 10 assists, five rebounds, and two steals.
• Freshman Edward Onyia scored an efficient 13 points on just 3-5 shooting, making all six of his free throw attempts and a three-pointer with eight boards, two assists, and a block.
• There were 18 lead changes and 12 ties in a back-and-forth contest that saw the Hawks win the rebounding battle 49-34.

How it Happened
 
Morissette and sophomore Paulius Rapolis scored the first two buckets of the game to go up 4-0, but Saint Michael's would take their first lead of the game soon after, 7-6. The two teams traded scores until the Purple Knights took their largest lead of the half, 22-17, with just under 10 to play.
 
Freshman Jakye Rainey knocked down a three to halt the Saint Michael's run, and Ristic tied the game up at 22-22 with a layup. Saint Anselm would then go up by five, its largest lead of the half, after a Morissette mid-range jumper and a Ristic layup that made the score 32-27.
 
Saint Michael's came back to tie it with a strong run at the end of the half as the score was tied, 36-36, at the break. The score remained tied early in the second, but Davies knocked down his lone three-pointer of the night and Morissette followed that up with a three of his own as the Hawks led 47-41 with 15 minutes remaining.
 
A quick 8-0 run by the Purple Knights put them back in front, 49-47, and the lead continued to see-saw in either direction with six lead changes over the next five minutes of play.
 
Saint Michael's knocked down a three-pointer with four minutes left in the half to create some breathing room, 62-48, and held that four-point edge over the Hawks with just over a minute to play, 69-65.
 
During the final 1:18 of the second half, the Hawks' defense held the Purple Knights scoreless, while Davies and Onyia converted on layups, including Onyia's with just 15 seconds on the clock, to send the game to overtime, 69-69.
 
Saint Michael's opened overtime with a three-pointer, but it was quickly answered by a Ristic three on the other end. After a Purple Knight's layup, Medalie gave the Hawks the lead with his third three of the game after an offensive rebound by Ristic was tipped out to Davies, who found the Nashville native for the three. Saint Anselm led the rest of the way, going 8-8 from the free throw line to close out the game and secure the win, 85-78.
 
Up Next
Saint Anselm men's basketball (2-1, 0-0 NE10) hosts Molloy University (0-2, 0-0 ECC) in a non-conference contest at Stoutenburgh Gym on Saturday, Nov. 23, at 1 p.m.

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