By: KJ Cardinal
MANCHESTER, N.H. — Saint Anselm rode a hot shooting night from senior Josh Morissette and a pair of double-doubles from sophomores Will Davies and Jovan Ristic to outlast Molloy, 97–92, in a high-paced non-conference matchup Saturday at Stoutenburgh Gymnasium.
Saint Anselm (3–1, 0–0 NE10) leaned on Morissette’s perimeter scoring to spark the offense early, as the senior guard (Exeter, N.H./Phillips Exeter Academy) poured in 21 points on five three-pointers. Davies recorded the first double-double of his career with 15 points and 10 assists, adding four rebounds and two blocks, while Ristic contributed 10 points and 12 rebounds for his second double-double of the year.
Freshman Hayden Johns had a career-high 17 points on 8-for-12 shooting, and Isaiah Griffin added 11 points, including nine from the free-throw line. Paulius Rapolis and Jack Medalie added 10 and six points, respectively, as Saint Anselm continued to find balance across its rotation. The Hawks shot 54 percent from the field and piled up 48 points in the paint while going 25-for-39 on two-point attempts.
The game featured 19 lead changes and five ties, with Saint Anselm building its largest first-half lead at 53–38 before Molloy closed the gap to 54–46 at halftime. The Lions briefly retook the lead midway through the second half, but Saint Anselm regained control behind a 7–2 run capped by Griffin’s trips to the line. Layups from Morissette, Johns, and Medalie on three straight possessions restored momentum, and a finish inside from Medalie marked Davies’ 10th assist of the night as the lead stretched to 85–78.
Johns added two more finishes at the rim in the closing minutes, and Davies knocked down a pair of late jumpers to secure the Hawks’ second straight home win.
Saint Anselm travels to Franklin Pierce on Nov. 25 for a 5 p.m. tipoff.
Check out the full photo gallery of the action by Michael Griffin …
