Recap by student-staff writer Colin Struckman 

RINDGE, NH (2/7/2024)  – The Franklin Pierce men's basketball team couldn't keep up with the Saint Anselm Hawks on Wednesday night, falling 85-57 to their intra-state rival.  

Score: Saint Anselm 85, Franklin Pierce 57 
Records: Franklin Pierce (4-18, 2-14 NE-10), Saint Anselm (10-12, 8-8 NE-10) 
Date: Wednesday, February 7, 2024 
Location: Rindge, NH (The Fieldhouse) 

 HOW IT HAPPENED: 

• The first half was a back-and-forth battle between the two teams but the Hawks closed out the first 20 minutes with a 36-34 lead. The Ravens opened the game with a 7-2 run, as sophomore RJ Delahaye (Newburgh, NY) drilled two 3-pointers. The Hawks responded with an 8-2 run capped off by a 3-pointer from Zac Taylor. Sophomore guard Pierce Prendergast (Bayport, NY) helped the Ravens get their momentum back with a slam at the rim, giving them the 11-10 lead. Sophomore guard Andrew Politi (Salem, NH) then splashed a 3-pointer to put the Ravens ahead 14-10. The hot 3-point shooting continued for the Ravens as freshman forward Rufus Cobb (Wellington, New Zealand) cashed a triple, making it a 17-15 Ravens lead. After the Hawks punched back and took a 25-21 lead, the scorching RJ Delahaye buried his third 3-pointer of the half, cutting the deficit to 1. Freshman guard Trevon Thomas (Chicago, Ill.) rattled in a 3-pointer to put the Ravens back in front, 29-27. Andrew Politi added another bucket from behind the arc as both teams traded punches, giving the Ravens the 32-31 lead. The Hawks closed out the first half strong with a crucial 3-pointer from Tyler Arbuckle and a layup from Sean McCarthy, to take the 36-34 lead into halftime after some offensive fireworks.  
• The second half didn't treat the Ravens kindly, as the Hawks soared past them 49-23. Sean McCarthy of the Hawks opened the half with two jumpers, accompanied by an aggressive slam by Matt Becker, to put the Hawks up by 6, 40-34. They used this momentum to go on a dominant 15-1 run and captured a commanding 51-35 lead. From there, they cruised to another 20-5 run which put them ahead 71-40. The 31-point lead was their largest of the game. The Ravens couldn't contain the Hawks for the remainder of the half and fell short 85-57. 

BREAKING DOWN THE NUMBERS: 

• Andrew Politi led the Ravens in scoring with 16 points, shooting an impressive 5-12 from the field and 5-9 from 3-point range. 
• The other Raven scoring in double-figures was Pierce Prendergast with 10 points on 5-9 shooting, and he added a team-high 6 rebounds. 
• Franklin Pierce shot 33.3% from the field (22 for 66). Saint Anselm shot 50% from the field (33 for 66). 
• Franklin Pierce shot 37.5% from behind the arc (9 for 24). Saint Anselm shot 36.4% from the field (12 for 33). 

NEXT UP FOR THE RAVENS: The Ravens travel to Pleasantville, NY to square off against the Pace Setters on Saturday (2/10) for an interconference matchup with tip-off at 3:30 p.m.