MANCHESTER, N.H. - The Saint Michael's College men's basketball team lost a 77-73 overtime decision against regionally-ranked Southern New Hampshire University on Wednesday evening during Northeast-10 Conference play in Stan Spirou Field House. The Penmen were ninth in this week's D2SIDA East Region Media Poll.

RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (3-3, 0-2 NE10), Southern New Hampshire (5-2, 2-1 NE10)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Senior Patrick Gardner (Merrick, N.Y./Calhoun/Nassau CC), 22 points, 13 rebounds, 5 offensive rebounds, 3 assists, 8-for-15 field goals, 5-for-6 free throws
• Junior Kasai Brown (Brooklyn, N.Y./Millbrook School), 18 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks
• First-year Nic Button (Skaneateles, N.Y./Cheshire Academy), 12 points (career high)
• Senior Jontai Williams (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Hayes), 10 points, 5 rebounds, 4-for-7 field goals
• First-year Jacob Duniver (Fredericksburg, Va./Woodstock Academy), 6 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 2-for-4 three-pointers
• First-year CJ Crews (Tampa, Fla./Bayshore Christian School), 3 assists

OPPONENT LEADERS

• First-year Aaron Gray, 22 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists
• Senior Corry Long, 19 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists
• Sophomore Matt Becht, 16 points, 6 rebounds

GAME FACTS

• Gardner recorded his fifth double-double of the season and Brown his first.
• The Purple Knights held leads in all three shooting percentage categories, including 43.8%-35.5% in overall field goal shooting. Saint Michael's tallied a 46-38 rebounding advantage.

THE ACTION

• Saint Michael's scored the game's first seven points, with Duniver's three-pointer coming in the middle of the run, and his triple at 16:21 of the first half had the visitors up 10-5.
• An 8-0 run put the Penmen in the lead, 13-11, at 13:25. The teams stayed within six points of each other until Southern New Hampshire compiled a 16-0 run, keyed by a pair of Becht threes, to lead 32-22 at 6:08.
• Saint Michael's trailed 36-30 by halftime before Brown twice forged ties early in the second half, on a lay-in at 15:12 (40-40) and a three-pointer at 14:17 (43-43). His triple at 11:13 provided the Purple Knights their first lead of the stanza, 46-45.
• An 8-0 run lifted the hosts into a 53-46 lead with 9:40 to go, but Williams' personal 6-0 run later pushed Saint Michael's into a 61-58 advantage with 5:53 left.
• Button's trey from the corner had the Purple Knights ahead by a 68-62 count with 3:56 remaining, but Long put home consecutive buckets before Gray's jumper tied the game at 2:11.
• The teams combined for six missed shots and a turnover down the stretch, including as Gardner blocked the Penmen's go-ahead attempt with 32 seconds left before the Purple Knights withstood a pair of winning attempts near the buzzer.
• Despite Saint Michael's blocking a shot on each of Southern New Hampshire's first two shots in overtime, the Penmen recovered the offensive rebound and scored, and Long and Gray converting baskets. Another Long hoop made it 74-68 at 2:44.
• Gardner scored his team's five points in the extra session, including knocking down a triple from the right wing with 19.1 seconds left that brought Saint Michael's within 76-73, but sophomore Noah Kamba split two free throws on the next possession. The Purple Knights went scoreless from there.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME

• Saturday at Assumption University, 3:30 p.m.
• The Greyhounds received votes toward this week's D2SIDA East Region Media Poll.