Leissner Tallied 21 Points but Men’s Hoops Fell 80-75 to UAlbany in Overtime

Tuesday, January 12

Albany, N.Y.

7 PM

University of New Hampshire

8-7, 1-1AE

University at Albany

14-4, 3-0AE

OT 1

UNH

UAlbany

Photo by: Elise Austin-Washburn

Leissner Tallied 21 Points but Men’s Hoops Fell 80-75 to UAlbany in Overtime

1/12/2016 10:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

ALBANY, N.Y. – Sophomore Tanner Leissner (Converse, Texas) matched a career-high with 21 points as the University of New Hampshire men's basketball team fell 80-75 in overtime to defending America East champion University at Albany, Tuesday night at SEFCU Arena.

The Wildcats dropped their first conference game of the season and fell to 8-7 overall and 1-1 in America East play. UAlbany improved to 14-4 overall and 3-0 in league games and has won seven straight. This was the fourth game between the two teams the last two seasons with a combined 10 point score differential.

Leissner shot 8 of 14 with three 3-pointers and two free throws. Leissner also recorded seven rebounds and five assists. Junior Jaleen Smith (Freeport, Texas) finished with 14 points (5 of 11) with seven rebounds and four assists. Juniors Daniel Dion (Cedar Park, Texas) and Joe Bramanti (Andover, Mass.) recorded 13 and 11 points, respectively. Sophomore Iba Camara (Dakar, Senegal) tallied 12 points and five boards.

In the overtime period, the Wildcats traded baskets and the score remained tied 73-73 with 2:16 to go. The Great Dane's Evan Singletary, who scored 21 himself, drilled a 3-pointer to take a three-point lead followed by a Smith layup to reduce the deficit to one, 76-75, with 48 seconds to play. Two free throws apiece by Ray Sanders and Joe Cremo sealed the deal.

New Hampshire held UAlbany to 37.7 percent shooting and both teams totaled 35 rebounds. UAlbany held a 23-14 free-throws-made advantage and a 14-21 turnover lead.

To end regulation, UNH was down seven, 55-48, before muscling back to a tie game, 59-59, with 4:08 to play. Bramanti, Dion and Smith each hit threes in the scoring stretch.

The final four minutes in the second half saw three ties and five lead changes. With a 65-63 lead after two Leissner free throws, UAlbany's Dallas Ennema drilled a 3-pointer to take a one-point lead, but it was short-lived after a Bramanti free throw with 1:30 to play. Dion drilled two freebies but Sanders dropped a layup with 43 seconds left in the second half to knot it up and eventually send it to overtime.

New Hampshire raced out to an 11-3 lead with 15:54 left in the first half. Camara, Dion and Smith all totaled three points in the stretch while Leissner scored the game's opening bucket. Singletary dropped a trey for the lone UAlbany bucket.

The Wildcats slowly increased the lead to 24-12 with 5:01 to play on more scoring from the foursome. Leissner tallied seven points in the 10-minute span while Dion notched a layup, Smith nailed his second three of the half and Camara finished a free throw.

UAlbany upped its first half pressure in the final minutes. Going on a 17-3 run to close out the half with a 29-27 lead.

New Hampshire returns home to take on Stony Brook University on Saturday, Jan. 16 (1 p.m.) on Fox College Sports.

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