The men’s basketball team was victorious in their game against the Adelphi Panthers this past Tuesday, winning their fifth straight in a return to conference play after beating the LIU Post Pioneers 87-80 in New York on Jan. 21.

On Jan. 18, the men’s team won against American International. The conference victory took place on home soil for the Hawks, with a final score 88-80. The game was close from start to finish and ended in a third straight win for the Hawks.

Sophomore Tim Guers had a strong performance and led the Hawks with a game-high 33 points. He became only the second player program history to score over 30 points in three straight games. Guers also had seven rebounds and four assists in the game.

Senior Forward Chris Braley scored 20 points for the Hawks. He played aggressive around the rim to secure 14 rebounds and thus achieving his sixth double-double this season. Junior Guard Taylor Fortin dished out 7 assists and scored 20 points.

The Hawks outscored the Yellow Jackets in both field goals and free throws dominated under the rim with 40 points scored from within the pain and grabbing 45 total rebounds.

Halfway through the first half, the Hawks held a 14-point lead. The Hawks continued their strong performance and ended the first half leading 44-35. The Yellow Jackets came back strong after the break and were able to answer back in the second half by outscoring the Hawks 45-44.

The Yellow Jackets played hard as the second half ticked away towards its final minutes but the Hawks stood their ground and held firm to pull off the win.

Juwan Moody was the top player for American International. He led his team in scoring throughout the entire game with 24 total points. He shined from behind the arc making 6 of his 8 attempted 3’s. Jayvon Pitts-Young also played well for the Yellow Jackets and scored 14 points. Rasheed Howard and Bruce Spruell each scored 12 points for their side.

Saint Anselm’s Junior Forward Efthim Butka told the Crier, “It was good to win at home. The Yellow Jackets played a good game but we fought hard and were able to find a way to win”.

The victory increased the Hawk’s record to 9-6 overall and 6-6 for the NE-10 conference. The Yellow Jackets stand at 7-12 overall and just 1-10 in league games.

This post has been updated.