Jordan’s Career Day Secures a 84-71 Win Over Hartford for Men's Hoops

Sunday, January 24

Durham, N.H.

1 PM

University of New Hampshire

11-8, 4-2AE

University of Hartford

7-14, 2-4AE

HARTFORD

UNH

Photo by: Elise Austin-Washburn

Jordan’s Career Day Secures a 84-71 Win Over Hartford for Men's Hoops

1/24/2016 3:57:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

DURHAM, N.H. – Senior Ronnel Jordan (San Antonio, Texas) scored a career-high 25 points on a personal best 10 field goals to lead the University of New Hampshire men's basketball team to a 84-71 win against the University of Hartford, Sunday afternoon at Lundholm Gym.

The Wildcats win their third straight game to improve to 11-8 on the season and 4-2 in conference play and tie UAlbany's league record in second place. Hartford fell to 7-14 overall and 2-4 on conference matchups.

New Hampshire remains home to tackle the University of Vermont on Wednesday, Jan. 27 (7 p.m.) on ESPN3. The game is named Western Wednesday which will feature country music and a line dancing group performing at halftime. Limited tickets are available so be sure to visit UNHWildcats.com/tickets or call the box office at 603-862-4000.

Jordan set new personal bests in scoring, field goals made, 3-pointers made (4) and tied his personal best in blocks (2). Junior Jaleen Smith (Freeport, Texas) tallied 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Sophomore Tanner Leissner (Converse, Texas) continues his scoring touch with 17 points (8 of 15 shooting) and nine boards. Leissner is averaging 17.5 points per contest throughout six league games.

New Hampshire had no trouble scoring this game, especially in the paint where it held a 42-18 advantage. The glass was easygoing as well (49-25), as the Wildcats recorded their third straight game with a 20+ lead on rebounds. The 'Cats grabbed 14 offensive boards to the Hawks' five for a 16-9 second-chance-scoring advantage.

The first half was back and forth with no team leading by four points much of the 20 minutes. UNH shot 56.3 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from beyond the arc but Hartford's Pancake Thomas scored 20 points in the opening stanza to help control the game. Hartford held a two-point lead, 30-28, on a Thomas lay up and free throw with 5:38 to go but the Wildcats finished the half on a 16-6 run to lead 44-36 at the break. UNH's Jordan drilled two threes to kick off the stretch while Smith scored four and junior Jacoby Armstrong (Sachse, Texas) and Leissner each scored a basket.

The Wildcats controlled the second half with 53.5 percent shooting and decreasing the Hawks' shooting from 40.6 percent in the first half to 35.5 percent in the final stanza. Harford's Thomas helped Hartford hang around with 18 more points in the final 20 minutes. UNH held a 10-point cushion for the entire second half.

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