MANCHESTER, N.H. – Southern Connecticut women's basketball fell to Saint Anselm, 67-63 in a close, physical battle between the NE10 teams on Wednesday night. The Owls dropped to an overall record of 7-1 and an NE10 record of 3-1. The Hawks improved to an overall record of 6-2 and an NE10 record of 4-0.
Katie Williamson led the team with 17 points, as she shot 8-for-17 from the floor, grabbed a team-best of seven boards and had an assist.
Delaney Haines had 15 points, as she made two three-pointers, grabbed a team-best of seven rebounds and had three assists.
Rheyna Steinauer recorded 14 points, as she was 2-for-2 from beyond the arc and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line.
Jillian Martin scored seven points, while dishing out a team-best of six assists and had three steals.
Hope Fox had six points, as she grabbed four boards, three assists and three steals.
Ally Sentance had four points, seven rebounds and two assists against the Hawks.
In the first quarter, from the jump, both teams knew it would be a tough battle.
Katie Williamson scored the Owls' first points with a jumper with an assist by
Delaney Haines. Saint Anselm answered right back with a made layup; this would be the quick, back and forth pace that remained for the rest of the game. Southern would take a 14-13 lead, going into the second quarter, with Williamson leading the team with six points, as Steinauer and Haines both had three points.
In the second quarter, the Hawks put three points on the board early on to take the lead; however,
Ally Sentance responded with a layup to tie the game up again. Saint Anselm made the shots that they needed to, specifically from beyond the arc, but it was Southern who didn't go away as they retook the lead with a jumper by Williamson, with four minutes left. Free-throws by Steinauer and Sentance with an-and-one by Haines, allowed the Owls to take a three-point lead. Although, it was the Hawks who finished out the quarter strong with a 9-0 run, to head into halftime with a 38-32 advantage over Southern.
Williamson and
Hope Fox got the Owls on the board for four quick points at the start of the third quarter. Saint Anselm held on to their lead for majority of the quarter, with both teams trading baskets throughout. With time ticking down, the Hawks and Owls had more of a defensive battle as Saint Anselm took a 51-39 lead, going into the fourth.
In the fourth quarter, Southern cut into the Hawks' lead, with a made layup by Williamson, a steal and made layup by Martin. Doing their best to make a double-digit comeback, Haines sparked it with a pull-up jumper with six minutes left.
Rheyna Steinauer came up big for the Owls, as she hit six points less than a minute, to decrease the Hawks' lead to four. Saint Anselm then increased the lead again, but Haines made her second three-pointer of the game with less than two-minutes to go.
Hope Fox hit two huge free-throws, with an offensive rebound to go back to line in between, with 38 seconds left, that left the Owls only down by two. Southern got the ball back with 10 seconds left, after a miss by Saint Anselm, but the Hawks held on to win 67-63.
The Owls will return to action on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 1:30 p.m. for a rematch of the 2024 NE10 Championship game against NE10 foe, Bentley University in the Moore Field House.
