The season is coming down to the wire as the defending NE10 champion Saint Anselm Men’s Basketball team is preparing for the home stretch of the season. As of now, the Hawks sit 8th in the NE10 standings. With only a 3 game difference between 2nd place and 8th, the NE10 is as competitive as ever. Sophomore breakout Guard Josh Morissette said in regards to the competitiveness of the NE10, “The conference is a lot of fun right now because anyone can beat anyone. There’s not an easy night, or a game where we show up and think we are going to win.”
Offensively, the Hawks have two of the best scorers in the NE10. Fifth Year Tyler Arbuckle ranks 3rd in the conference in scoring averaging 19 points per game, as well as Morissette, who ranks 6th in scoring averaging 17.8 points per game. Defensively, the Hawks have forced their will in the paint with one of the best defenses in the conference.
Speaking on the team’s strength, Morissette harked on the team’s explosive capabilities both offensively and defensively: he added, “I think our strength is that we can attack teams in different ways. We have guys who can score in the paint, and we have good shooters on the perimeter, so you have to choose what to take away. Defensively, we have length, so we are able to block shots and make it harder on teams in the paint when we work together.”
Looking ahead for the Hawks, they have to play their best basketball of the season in order to continue their defense of the NE10 title. Morissette, in regards to what the team needs to do in order to get back to back championships, said, “For us to have a chance, we have to go into each game and play our best basketball, play together, and find the best shots for our team while at the same time making it hard on other teams defensively. We still have work to do to get to the point where we can make a run at this thing.”
In terms of competition, the Hawks look to take on the University of New Haven on Feb. 21 on the Hilltop for the Hawks Senior Night. Following New Haven, the Hawks will go to Springfield, MA to take on American International on Feb. 24. After AIC, Saint Anselm will look to finish their regular season against Pace to hopefully secure a spot in the NE10 postseason.
When asked about the goal for the final few games, Morissette said, “With all teams making the playoffs, our goal these last few games is to try and make a run at a higher seed. Give us a chance at hosting a game in our gym round 1, and just find a way to be playing our best basketball heading into the tournament.”
With a high octane offense and stifling defense, the Saint Anselm Hawks look poised for yet another deep playoff run that will hopefully end in NE10 glory in back-to-back years. Only time will tell whether or not the Hawks have what it takes to soar higher above the entire NE10.