By Jerry Liptak
Staff Writer

Three points separated the men’s and women’s basketball teams of host Southern New Hampshire University and St. Anselm College on a snowy Thursday, Jan. 6. In the end, the SNHU men and St. A women slipped out the door with victories.

Central grad Sam Carey connected on 80 percent of his field goal attempts, none bigger than a reverse lay-up with under one minute remaining. (Gil Talbot Photo)

Two rivals meet again
In the men’s game, two longtime regional powers locked up in a one-point affair.

Fittingly, it was two longtime local rivals, both freshmen, who played key roles in the outcome.

Sam Carey, a Manchester Central alumnus, converted a reverse lay-up with 34 seconds left to give the Penmen, 9-2 after the game, a 58-57 win. But the contest wasn’t decided until Manchester West grad Jeff Dickson of Bedford hoisted a three-point shot from just in front of his bench on the left side. The shot bounced off the back rim, dropping the nationally ranked Hawks to 9-2.

The visitors trailed by 19 points late in the first half, then rubbed out a nine-point deficit with an 11-2 second-half run, finally taking a one-point lead, 57-56, on Matt Cahill’s charity shot.

Carey scored eight points in just 13 minutes of court time, sinking four of his five shots. P.J. Young helped SNHU with 10 points and 13 rebounds, while Miguel Gonzalez hit five of eight field goal attempts to lead the victors with 12 markers.

Cahill led the Hawks with 20 points, while Ryan Reilly scored 14 and added 10 boards off the bench. The Hawks missed eight of 19 free throws.

Hawks hold off hosts
Raenielle Decastro-Cain netted her 13 points in the first half as the St. Anselm women raced to a 31-23 halftime lead, opened a 51-35 second-half cushion, then withstood a furious Penmen comeback to hold on, 53-51.

Jessica Morgan’s hoop gave St. A, 4-6 following the game, its 16-point lead with just over eight minutes left, but the Penmen, 3-8, scored the next 14 points to pull within 51-49 when Danielle Graunke bombed a three-pointer with just 1:11 remaining.

St. Anselm senior Maura Hamel calmly canned two free throws for a 53-49 edge, then SNHU’s Vanessa Cedrone answered with two from the stripe.

Though the hosts had the ball with under 10 seconds remaining, they never got off a shot in the waning moments.

The teams will meet again on Jan. 22, this time at St. Anselm College. The women tip off at 1:30 p.m. The men follow at 3:30 p.m.