Logan scored a season-high 29 points, marking his 30th 20-point game of his career. (PHOTO BY Mike Tureski/SportsPix)

Guers leads Hawks to key NE10 win with game-high 37 points

EASTON, Mass. (February 15, 2017) – Saint Anselm College, ranked eighth in this week's D2SIDA East Regional rankings, erased a five point deficit with six minutes to play to claim an 85-84 victory over Stonehill College in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action on Paula Sullivan Court at Merkert Gymnasium tonight.

Sophomore Tim Guers (Langhorne, Pennsylvania/Germantown Academy) scored a game-high 37 points, including 26 in the second half, to lead Saint Anselm to its third straight win on 10-of-16 shooting, including 4-for-8 from three-point distance, while converting 13-of-16 free-throws to go with three rebounds, two assists, a blocked shot and a steal. Senior Harrison Taggart (Wallingford, Vermont/St. Paul's School) was the only other Hawk in double-figures with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 1-for-3 from deep, converting 4-of-5 free-throws to go with six rebounds and three assists. Junior Taylor Fortin (Tolland, Connecticut/Wilbraham & Monson Academy) chipped in with a game-high nine rebounds, six points and two assists.

Senior Ryan Logan (Fredericktown, Ohio/Fredericktown) paced Stonehill with a season-high 29 points on 13-of-22 shooting, including 2-for-3 from beyond the arc, with eight rebounds and two assists. Junior KJ Lee (Huntington Station, New York/Long Island Lutheran) added 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting, with seven rebounds and five assists, while classmate Isaiah Bess (LaGrange, Maine/Hampden Academy) also netted 16 points with four boards.

Stonehill led by five (67-62) after freshman Daniel Largey (Oceanport, New Jersey/Peddie School) made two free-throws with 6:38 remaining, but Saint Anselm reeled off nine straight points, all scored by Guers, to reclaim the lead (71-67) after his second three-pointer of the run with 3:59 left. Logan scored a layup to end the initial run, but Guers followed with another triple and then drained two more free-throws to extend the burst to 14-2 to open a seven point cushion with 2:49 to go.

The Saint Anselm lead was still seven (80-73) after a Guers layup with 1:14 to play, but Guers and Taggert each split two free-throws over the Hawks next two possessions to give Stonehill a chance at a late rally themselves. Largey was fouled shooting a three-pointer with 9.9-seconds to go and drained all three from the stripe to pull the Skyhawks within a possession (82-79). Guers split two free-throws at the other end again and Lee drove the distance for a layup to cut the lead to two (83-81) with 4.1-seconds left, but Guers made both free-throws to make a last-second triple by Bess from just inside half court at the buzzer nothing more than consolation to seal the win.

Lee tallied 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists and a blocked shot. (PHOTO BY Mike Tureski/SportsPix)

Stonehill led by five near the end of a first half which featured five ties and five lead changes, but junior Austin Nydegger (Glenville, New York/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) drained a last-second three off a second chance opportunity to close the gap to two (42-40) at the break. Saint Anselm opened the second half with a 12-6 burst to take a four point lead (52-48) after a three-point play from Taggert less than five minutes in. The Hawks lead was five (58-53) after two free-throws from senior Chris Braley (Newport, Maine/Phillips Exeter) with 12:37 to play, but the Skyhawks followed that with a 14-4 run to take a five point lead of its own (67-62) after the two Largey free-throws with 6:38 to play.

Stonehill shot 55.4-percent from the field (31-for-56), including 6-for-14 (42.9%) from three-point distance, and held a 33-30 rebounding edge, but Saint Anselm took advantage of 15 Skyhawk turnovers, compared to just nine themselves, for a 22-18 edge in points off. The Hawks were limited to 45.8% shooting (27-for-59), including 8-for-29 (27.5%) from deep.

Stonehill now drops into a tie for the fifth and final spot in next week's NE10 Tournament from the Northeast Division with rival Bentley University (12-12, 9-10 NE10) with two games to play in the regular season. The Skyhawks hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Falcons and they remain just a game behind Franklin Pierce University (13-12, 10-9 NE10), although the Ravens hold that NE10 tiebreaker.

Stonehill (14-11, 9-10 NE10) will look to bounce back on the road on Saturday, when it visits Southern New Hampshire University, ranked fourth in the region, at 3:30 p.m. The Skyhawks close out the regular season here at Merkert Gym next Tuesday, February 21, against Saint Michael's College on Senior Night at 7:30 p.m. Saint Anselm (16-7, 12-7 NE10) visits Bentley University on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

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