The Saint Anselm men’s basketball team is back! This season they are looking to defend their NE10 title in what is sure to be an amazing season. The Hawks are looking to recapture that 2023 postseason magic and bring home yet another NE10 title to the Hilltop.
However, to start the season, the Hawks have a difficult start to their title defense. To open the season, Saint Anselm traveled to Staten Island to compete in the Staten Island Tournament of Heroes. In their first game, they took down College of Staten Island with ease in a 92-69.
The Hawks offense was on fire, with 5 players (3 starters) hitting double figure points. Unfortunately, in their following game, the Hawks fell to Saint Thomas Acquinas in a 91-68 contest. While they went 1-1 on the weekend, the Hawks proved that they can score at an intense rate that can keep up to some of the best teams in division II.
Following the games in Staten Island, Saint Anselm prepared for regular season play. They opened the campaign against Bridgeport and won in a 85-79 contest. Sophomore Josh Morissette led the way with 21 points, 6 rebounds and a block.
Following Bridgeport, Saint Anselm had their first conference matchup against Saint Michaels. In this contest the Hawks 38-37 at halftime but lost in a 78-65 bout. This loss would start a 3 game streak for the Hawks.
Needless to say the Hawks needed to bounce back, luckily they did just that. On Dec. 2, the Saint Anselm Hawks hosted Assumption to a packed Stoutenburgh Gymnasium. With the Anselmian crowd on their side all the way through, the Hawks prevailed in a 71-65 thriller. In the victory, Sophomore guard Josh Morissette led the charge offensively with 20 points and 5 rebounds. Defensively, senior Matt Becker had a defensive masterclass, he provided 3 blocks and 2 steals to the Hawks victory.
As it stands, the Hawks are 3-4 on the season, but a key victory over Assumption is sure to build momentum into the rest of the season. While the team is below .500, they have one of the best offenses in the NE10.
Currently they rank 3rd in the conference in points per game with 75.4. Defensively, the Hawks rank 5th in blocks per game with 3.3. On an individual level, junior forward Kieth Robinson leads the NE10 in field goal percentage with a whopping 70.7%, along with his field goal percentage he also ranks 3rd in the conference in 3pt percentage with 52.2%.
Fifth year Tyler Arbuckle leads the team in scoring with 16.4 points per game which ranks 9th in the NE10. While the season remains young, the Hawks are poised to go on a run and take to the top of the NE10. Looking at their next 5 games, the Hawks will be taking on Franklin Pierce, followed by Jefferson, Post, Daemen, and then Southern Connecticut State. All of which are very winnable games. If the Hawks can play to their strengths, the Hilltop will be buzzing to see their Hawks contend for NE10 glory.