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| Press Release |
Press Release
SAINT ANSELM SWEEPS PURPLE KNIGHTS IN CONFERENCE TWINBILL
SMC women’s rally falls short, 59-54; Hawks’ men pull away, 81-68FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION
December 8, 2004 Contact: Seth Cole
Phone: (802) 654-2537COLCHESTER, Vt. – Saint Anselm College used strong defense to record a pair of victories versus Saint Michael’s College in Northeast-10 Conference basketball action on Wednesday at the Ross Sports Center. The Hawks held off the Purple Knight women in the opener, 59-54, while the Saint Michael’s men lost its fifth straight contest, 81-68.
In the women’s contest, Saint Anselm (2-5, 2-3 NE-10) raced out to an 18-point lead, then held off the Purple Knights down the stretch. Juniors Raenielle Decastro-Cain (Manchester, Conn.) and Katie Levane (Port Washington, N.Y.) led the Hawks with 16 points apiece, combining to shoot 13-of-19 from the field. Classmate Meaghan Adams (Vernon, Conn.) added 12 points as four assists.
For the Purple Knights, sophomore Dani Rayner (Westminster, Vt./Bellows Falls Union) tallied a game-high 18 points and a team-best nine rebounds, while junior Brigid Hegarty (No. Andover, Mass./Central Catholic) added 15 points on five 3-pointers. Freshman Katie Barthelmes (Contoocook, N.H./Hopkinton) chipped in eight points as Saint Michael’s (2-4, 0-3 NE-10) dropped its fourth straight contest after a 2-0 start.
Saint Anselm dominated play throughout much of the first half, and opened its biggest lead, 41-23, with 2:14 left in the period. The hosts, however, closed the stanza with an 11-0 run to only trail by seven at intermission.
In a low-scoring second half, Saint Michael’s pulled within two points on several occasions, but hurt its own cause by shooting just 26 percent in the period. The Hawks, meanwhile, shot just 22 percent (4-of-18) from the field and 44 percent (8-of-18) from the foul line after halftime, but had enough to snap a three-game losing skid.
In the nightcap, Saint Anselm (6-1, 4-1 NE-10), ranked 20th in this week’s NABC Division II Poll, overcame poor shooting in the first half to rally for victory. All five starters scored in double figures for the Hawks, led by junior Matt Cahill’s (Bridgewater, Mass.) game-high 24 points, 19 of which came in the second half. Classmate Jim Holsworth (Bogota, N.J.) notched 19 points and nine assists, while fellow juniors Jim Moore (Worcester, Mass.) and Darlington Okerulu (Jersey City, N.J.) recorded 13 points apiece, with Okerulu adding a game-best 12 rebounds. Senior Chris Conroy (Kingston, Mass.) chipped in 10 points.
For Saint Michael’s (3-5, 0-3 NE-10), junior Chase Graves (West Chester, Pa./Storm King) led a balanced scoring attack with 13 points and seven assists off of the bench. Freshman James Sorrentine (Pawtucket, R.I./Saint Raphael Academy) posted 12 points on four 3-pointers, while juniors Mike Keating (Saint Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) and BJ Robertson (Burlington, Vt./Burlington) added 11 points apiece. Robertson has scored in double figures in all eight games this season.
Saint Michael’s opened strong defensively, as the Purple Knights held Saint Anselm to just 33 percent shooting in the opening period to open up a 31-24 lead at the break. However, the Hawks, who entered the game leading the league in scoring, tallied the first 11 points of the second half to take a 35-31 lead. Sorrentine gave the hosts its final lead, 38-35, with 15:37 remaining, but Saint Anselm went on a 17-3 run over the next four minutes to seal the victory.
Saint Michael’s returns to action on Saturday when it visits Pace University in an NE-10 doubleheader, beginning with the women at 1:30 p.m. The Purple Knight women next play at home on Dec. 18 at 1 p.m. versus non-conference rival Felician College, while the next home contest for the men is Dec. 19 at 3:30 p.m. against Stonehill College, the second half of a league doubleheader.
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For more information please contact the SMC Sports Information Office at (802) 654-2537
Last Revised: October 25, 2002