Leissner and Dion Earn 75-67 Win Over Albany on the Road

Wednesday, January 11

Albany, N.Y.

7 PM

University of New Hampshire

10-6, 1-1AE

Albany

9-9, 0-3AE

New Hampshire

UAlbany

Photo by: Joey Walker

1/11/2017 9:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

ALBANY, N.Y. – Junior Tanner Leissner (Converse, Texas) finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds for his 15^th career double-double to lead the University of New Hampshire men's basketball team (10-6, 1-1 AE) to a 75-67 win over University at Albany (9-9, 0-3 AE) on the road Wednesday night.

NEXT HOME GAME
The Wildcats return home for their next contest on Saturday, Jan. 14 (1 PM) to host Binghamton University on Youth day. Tickets are available HERE or by calling 603-862-4000. Kids, wear your youth team jersey and get free admission to the game. Also, the NCAA men's basketball trophy will be in the lobby for pictures.

HIGHLIGHTS

Senior Daniel Dion (Cedar Park, Texas) went 8-for-8 from the free-throw line and finished with a game-high 20 points.
Senior Jaleen Smith (Freeport, Texas) scored 14 points and tallied eight assists and five rebounds.
Junior Jordan Reed (Lucas, Texas) finished with a career-high 14 points on a personal-best five buckets and four threes (tying a career-high).
New Hampshire led for the entire second half.
The Wildcats dished 16 assists on 25 made baskets.

HOW IT HAPPENED
It was a game of runs in the first half as neither team led by more than two points until UNH stretched its lead to 17-8 with 12:27 to go on a 9-0 run. Reed and Leissner each drilled a three to cap the run. The Great Danes responded with a 9-0 run themselves to tie it up at 17 apiece with 7:55 to go. Greig Stire and David Nichols were key cogs in the stretch. Albany claimed its last lead of the half, 22-19 with 5:41 remaining but was answered by UNH with a 10-0 stretch to lead by seven with three minutes to play. The Great Danes chipped away at the deficit to trail by two, 31-29, going into the break.

New Hampshire jumped on the Great Danes in the second half, improving its lead to 11 points, 47-36 with 14:56 to play. Albany responded with a 10-2 run to cut the deficit to three shortly afterward. For most of the second half, Albany would cut the deficit and UNH would bend but not break. With 6:08 to go, David Nichols made two free throws to cut the Wildcats' lead to one but New Hampshire responded with a 3-pointer from junior Keon Burns (Beaverton, Ore.) and layup by Smith. The Great Danes cut it to two points, 66-64, with 1:28 to play but Leissner nailed a three on the wing on a dish by Smith to push them over the top for the win. Dion drilled six of his eight free throws in the final 40 seconds to hold off Albany.

-POSTGAME NOTES-
UNH STARTERS (SEASON/CAREER STARTS)
Sr. G Jaleen Smith (16/88)
Sr. G Daniel Dion (16/49)
Fr. G John Ogwuche (1/1)
Jr. F Tanner Leissner (16/70)
Fr. F Luke Rosinski (1/1)

GROUP'S RECORD: 1-0

SERIES INFO
The Wildcats inch closer to evening the all-time series ,currently sitting at 21-15. UNH now has a two-game winning streak against the Great Danes. New Hampshire last won at Albany on Feb. 9, 2010 with a score of 62-53.

ATTENDANCE: 2,318

TEAM NOTES
UNH shot 25 of 53 from the field (48.1 percent) and 14 of 30 from beyond the arc (46.7 percent).
New Hampshire got 25 points from the bench tonight, the third highest total this season.
UNH scored 44 second half points to the first-half's 31.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Daniel Dion: 20 points / 8-8 FTs / 2 assists
Tanner Leissner: 16 points / 11 rebounds / 6 of 10 shooting / 4 assists
Jaleen Smith: 14 points / 8 assists / 5 rebounds / 40 minutes
Jordan Reed: 14 points / 4-9 3's / 5 of 12 shooting

David Nichols: 19 points / 4 rebounds / 6-6 FTs
Joe Cremo: 14 points / 3 rebounds / 5 of 14 shooting