Breezie Williams led UNH with 13 points on Saturday in a loss to Stonehill. (Photo courtesy of UNH Athletics)

NEW YORK – Junior Clarence Daniels (Brooklyn Park, Minn.), the America East Conference’s rebounding leader, matched his career best Saturday afternoon with 18 rebounds for the second straight game and notched his fourth double-double of the season, but the University of New Hampshire men’s basketball team was edged 56-52 by host Columbia University at Levien Gymnasium.

Daniels topped three Wildcat double-digit scorers with 12 points (3-12 FG, 6-8 FT), blocked three shots, grabbed two steals and upped his rebounding average to 11.4/game. Graduate student Jaxson Baker (Phoenix, Ariz.) and junior Kyree Brown (Oakland, Calif.) tallied 11 points apiece, and graduate student Matt Herasme (Chester, N.Y.) finished with eight points and nine rebounds for UNH (2-5, 0-0 America East).

Blair Thompson scored a game-high 13 points and Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa chipped in with 10 points and nine rebounds to help the Lions (3-7, 0-0 Ivy League) snap a three-game skid.

In the first half, Baker went on a personal eight-point run with a conventional three-point play, a 3-pointer and a jumper to lift the Wildcats from a 7-3 deficit to an 11-7 lead with 12:14 to play.

Columbia built its largest lead of the half, 16-12, on Kenny Noland’s layup at 7:24. The Wildcats responded with an 11-0 run courtesy of consecutive 3-point baskets from Herasme, sophomore Trey Woodyard (London, Ohio) and graduate student Nazim Derry (Atlantic City, N.Y.), followed by a Daniels layup for a 23-16 lead -New Hampshire’s largest of the game–with 42 seconds left in the half. UNH went to the locker room ahead 23-19.

Daniels scored the first basket of the second half to build UNH’s lead to six points, and then neither team led by more than four in a back-and-forth contest that featured four ties and 10 lead changes, including seven in the second half.

Brown converted a three-point play that provided the ‘Cats with a 45-40 lead at the 8:54 mark, but that would prove to be the Wildcats’ last field goal of the game.

Columbia closed the game on a 16-7 run, with UNH’s seven points coming exclusively through free throws.

In other UNH athletic events on Saturday:

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

STONEHILL 57, UNH 50

The Wildcats fell to 3-6 despite freshman guard Breezie Williams recording 13 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists at Lundholm Gym.

Junior guard Adara Groman made it a tough fight as well. setting herself up for plenty of smart shots leading to 9 points, 4 rebounds and 1 steal. Avery O’Connor had nine points as well for UNH.

Stonehill’s record improves to 2-7 overall.

MEN’S HOCKEY

Vinny Duplessis recorded a shutout as the University of New Hampshire men’s hockey team fell to No. 7 Boston University at Agganis Arena in Hockey East action. 

The Wildcats fall to 3-13-1 (0-11-1 Hockey East), while the Terriers improve to 10-4-0 (7-3-0 Hockey East). 

At 18:36 of the second period, Domenick Fensore fired a slapshot shot from the point on a power play give BU a 1-0 lead. 

Then at 16:37 of the third period, Jay O’Brien sent a puck from the slot that went glove side, for another Terrier power play goal.

At 16:56 of the third period UNH pulled senior goalie David Fessenden (Parker, Colo.) to get the extra skater.

Then at 17:36, Quinn Hutson shot the puck from the point to get an empty net goal for the 3-0 final score. 

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

UCONN 1, UNH 0

Senior goaltendeer Nicky Harnett made 21 saves, but the UNH women’s hockey team fell to 14th-ranked University of Connecticut at the Whittemore Center. 

Megan Warrener stopped all 27 shots on goal, including 12 in the second period, and Claire Petersen scored the only goal of the game at 11:29 of the middle stanza. 

The Wildcats fall to 6-14-0 overall and 5-11-0 in Hockey East while the Huskies move up to 12-8-2, 7-7-2