Avery Martin- Contributor
It was a disappointing loss for the Owls on Feb. 21, as they fell 82-70 against Southern New Hampshire University, SNHU, on senior night at home in Moore Fieldhouse.
Prior to the start of the game, guard Mason Williams and forward Josh McGettigan both graduates were honored by their team along with student manager Brian Ceballos. Their various accomplishments on and off the court were also acknowledged.
To kick off the last home game of the regular season, the Owls briefly showed promise with a fast two-point shot by McGettigan just over 30 seconds in. However, the SNHU offense was dominant, shooting 61.8% over the course of the game.
Owls Head Coach Scott Burell said the defense was just not there.
“We didn’t play tough enough defense. They shot sixty-something percent for the game. We couldn’t get stops when we needed them, and they are the best defensive team in the league and made us struggle on offense,” Burell said.
The Owls held the lead for the first three and a half minutes of the game, but from there, besides two quick lead changes, SNHU pulled ahead with a commanding offense.
However, in the first half, forward Cherrif Diarra, a sophomore, and guard Logan Bagshaw, a junior, each contributed eight points. McGettigan had four rebounds to lead the team while Diarra and forward Kazell Stewart, a sophomore, each had three.
Going into half-time, the score was 43-34 SNHU.
In the second half, SNHU held the lead and scored 39 more points to the Owls’ 36. The Owls had a total of 17 rebounds, scored six out of eight free throws, and made two of 13 attempted three-point shots.
In the end, SNHU was able to win with a final score of 82-70. Despite the disappointment, highlights came in the form of guard Marty Silvera, a junior, scoring 15 points to lead the team and Stewart following with 14.
“We didn’t follow our game plan,” Silvera said. “Like coach said, they shot sixty-something percent, so it’s very hard to get open shots when they’re hitting.”
Bagshaw agreed that the game did not go as planned.
“I think it was pretty soft on our end. We didn’t play well. We weren’t physical enough,” Bagshaw said.
The Owls are ranked sixth in the NE10 Conference standings with an overall record of 17-9 and a conference record of 11-9.
They will be back in action on the road on Feb. 24 against Franklin Pierce University Ravens, ranked seventh. Burrell says it will be crucial to bounce back.
“If you want to make this tournament, if you want to go far with your seed, you got to beat the tough teams and play tougher mentally and physically,” Burrell said.
Bagshaw agreed.
“We just got to be more physical, tougher than that. When things don’t go our way, we can’t split. We just got to be together,” Bagshaw said.
The Owls will try to do just that as they head into the last two regular season games before the conference championship begins on March 1.
