Cahill nets 23 of his game-high 32
points after halftime, including 19 in first ten
minutes of second half
RINDGE, N.H. (February 13,
2006) - Saint Anselm College, ranked No. 21 in the most
recent NABC Division II poll and second in the Northeast Region,
led by 14 at the break and never looked back in posting a 77-54
victory over Franklin Pierce in Northeast-10 Conference men's
basketball action at the Fieldhouse tonight.
Senior swingman Matt
Cahill (Bridgewater, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham)
scored 23 of his game-high 32 points after halftime, netting 19
points in the first ten minutes of the second half, to lead Saint
Anselm. He hit 11-of-17 shots from the field (8-10 second half),
including 6-11 from three-point range (5-7 second half), for the
night and also grabbed a game-high ten rebounds to go with three
assists and three blocks.
Senior Jim Moore
(Worcester, Mass.) added 18 points (12 second half),
aided by a perfect 10-of-10 shooting effort at the free-throw line,
six rebounds and four assists. Senior Darlington
Okerulu (Jersey City, N.J./Hudson Catholic)
registered seven points, eight rebounds and two assists.
Freshman Timothy Munch
(Blauvelt, N.Y./Storm King Prep) led Franklin Pierce
with 14 points, hitting 4-of-7 from three-point range, three
rebounds and a block. Senior Justin Powell (Brookline,
Mass./Brookline) added 12 points, four rebounds and
three assists. Senior Pierre Sully (Jamaica Plain,
Mass./North Cambridge Catholic) and junior
Darryl Minnifield (Boston,
Mass./Brookline) led the Ravens rebounding effort
with nine and seven,
respectively.
Saint Anselm hit 44.6-percent
(25-of-56) of its shots from the field, including 46.2% (12-26)
after halftime. The Hawks rebounded from a 1-13 shooting
performance beyond the arc in the opening half and buried 5-11
(45.5%) in the second. Franklin Pierce shot just 33.8% (22-65) from
the field overall after hitting at 29% (9-31) in the first half.
The Ravens hit just 1-of-6 three's (16.7%) in the opening stanza,
compared to 5-9 (55.6%) in the second.
Franklin Pierce netted the first
nine points over the opening three minutes of the contest, but
Saint Anselm rebounded with a 27-6 run over a span of 15-minutes to
open a 12-point gap (27-15) of its own with 2:45 to go in the half.
Sophomore Junior
Mitchell (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xaverian) hit a jumper to
give the Hawks a 14-point lead at the break (33-19). The teams
traded baskets in the early part of the second half before Franklin
Pierce drew within seven (41-34) after a Munch three with 15:03 to
play, capping a 7-2 run.
Saint Anselm then took control
behind the shooting of Cahill to post a 17-5 run and open a
20-point lead (61-41) after two Moore free-throws with 8:05 to go.
Cahill canned three-straight three's and finished with four overall
during the game-deciding stretch.
Franklin Pierce (13-11, 10-9 NE-10)
is back in action Wednesday for a key NE-10 battle at Merrimack
College at 7:30 p.m. Saint Anselm (18-6, 13-6 NE-10) visits
Assumption College on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
BOXSCORE
