When and Where: December 17, 2021 – St. Leo, Fla. (Marion Bowman Activities Center)
Score: Saint Leo University 83, Southern New Hampshire University 79
Records: SNHU 8-1, SLU 6-4
Graduate student
Gyanna Russell (E. Hampton, Conn.) scored a game-high 21 points and classmate
Meg Knollmeyer (Hampton, N.H.) posted a 17-point, 15-rebound double-double, but the Southern New Hampshire University women's basketball team had a late rally come up short and saw its six-game winning streak come to an end with an 83-79 loss to Saint Leo University in its opening game at the Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel Classic on Friday night at the Marion Bowman Activities Center.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Russell – 21 points (7-18 FG, 1-4 3-FG, 6-8 FT), 9 rebounds, 2 assists
- Knollmeyer – 17 points (6-11 FG, 5-5 FT), 15 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
- Junior Adriana Timberlake (Braintree, Mass.) – 15 points (5-13 FG, 3-9 3-FG, 2-4 FT), 2 rebounds, 2 assists
- Graduate student Karlee Ziliak (Evansville, Ind.) – 11 points (3-10 FG, 1-5 3-FG, 4-4 FT), 2 rebounds, 3 assists
KEY MOMENTS
- Saint Leo, which led by as many as 11 in the second quarter, was ahead by 10 with 3:41 to go before the break when Southern New Hampshire closed the half on a 15-5 run – led by six points from Timberlake – to send the game to the locker rooms tied, 38-all.
- Timberlake kept it going to begin the second half, hitting a 3-pointer just 15 seconds in to give the Penmen their first lead of the night. The score was tied, 50-50, with 5:38 on the clock, however, when a 17-3 rush opened up a 67-53 advantage for the hosts at the end of the third quarter.
- The Lions seized their largest lead of the contest at 79-61 with 5:11 remaining, but the Penmen would not go down without a fight. SNHU responded with a 16-1 burst – powered by seven points from Russell and five from Timberlake – that slashed its deficit to 80-77 with 38 seconds left. The Penmen had a chance to potentially tie the game with 18 ticks on the clock, but their inbounds pass was stolen and Saint Leo would go up two possessions. A Knollmeyer layup with nine seconds to go made it 81-79, but the Lions would sink a pair at the line to all but seal it.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Junior Ariana Koivisto (Pomfret, Conn.) registered six points (1-4 FG, 4-5 FT), four rebounds, two assists and two steals.
- Sophomore Jessica Knight (Hanover, Mass.) recorded five points (1-5 FG, 3-4 FT) and four boards.
- Senior Jenna Roche (Braintree, Mass.) chipped in four points (1-1 FG, 2-2 FT), five rebounds and two assists.
- Saint Leo outshot SNHU, 48.6 percent (34-70) to 38.7 percent (24-62).
- Neither team shot it well from deep, but the Penmen shot it better, 25 percent (5-20) to 21.4 percent (3-14).
- SNHU also was plus-14 from the line and outshot the Lions, 81.3 percent (26-32) to 66.7 percent (12-18).
- The Penmen won the glass (44-40), scored more second chance points (16-12) and scored more on the fast break (18-16), while the Lions captured the paint (44-34), featured a better assist-to-turnover ratio (16/18-13/20), scored more points off turnovers (23-17) and received more scoring from their bench (18-11).
NOTES
- Southern New Hampshire, which had won six-in-a-row, is still off to its best start since it also began the 2015-16 season 8-2 and is receiving votes in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll.
- SNHU still leads the all-time series with Saint Leo, 2-1.
- Russell is the only Penmen to have scored in double figures in all 10 games this season.
WHAT'S NEXT
- The Penmen wrap up their time at Saint Leo Sunday (Dec. 19) at noon when they take on Lake Superior State University.
- The next home contest for SNHU is Sunday, Jan. 9 (1:30 p.m.) when it plays host to Adelphi University at the Stan Spirou Field House.
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