Boxscore

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – Senior forward Kate Lynch (Rumford, R.I.) scored 19 points and added eight rebounds on Friday night to lead the No. 10 nationally ranked Southern Connecticut State University women's basketball team to a 73-61 victory over Pace in Northeast-10 Conference play at Goldstein Fitness Center. Senior forward Rochelle Johnson (Norwalk, Conn.) tied her career high with 12 points for SCSU. Stephanie Klingele led Pace with 15 points. With the win, SCSU improves to 9-2 (6-2 NE-10) while Pace falls to 2-7 (2-5 NE-10) with the defeat.

The first half featured even play throughout. Pace was able to open up a four-point lead with 5:04 to go with a 7-2 run, keyed by five points from Brittany Huggins, who hit a three-pointer to cap the run. The Setters would extend the lead to five with 3:26 remaining. SCSU would later score nine of the half's final 12 points to take a 32-31 lead into the halftime break. Lynch led the Owls on the 9-3 run with four points and senior guard Kaylie Schiavetta (Northport, N.Y.) knocked down a key three-pointer.

Lynch led all scorers in the first half with nine points and also led all players with seven rebounds. Johnson chipped in with eight points in the first half for SCSU. Freshman guard Logan Lentz (Chambersburg, Pa.) handed out four assists in the opening stanza.

For Pace, Kristin Connolly, Stephanie Rossmy and Klingele led the way with six points apiece. Connolly led the Setters with five rebounds while Christine Fitzgerald dished out nine first-half assists for Pace.

The Owls opened the second half on a 15-4 run over the first five minutes to take a 12-point lead at 47-35. Lynch led SCSU with seven points on the run while senior guard Michelle Martinik (Monroe, Conn.) added a pair of three-pointers on her way to scoring 16 second-half points. SCSU would connect on their final six free-throw attempts down the stretch to win, 73-61.

For the game, Lynch led all scorers with 19 points on 6-for-16 shooting and 6-for-8 from the free-throw line. Martinik (16 points), Johnson (12) and Schiavetta (11) all joined Lynch in double figures. Johnson and Lynch tied for the game high in rebounds with eight apiece.

For Pace, Klingele led the way with 15 points on 6-for-17 shooting. Taylor Losey (14 points) and Fitzgerald (10) joined her in double digits. Connolly led the Setters with seven rebounds.

SCSU shot 20-for-54 (37.0%) from the floor, 8-for-17 (47.1%) from three-point range and 25-for-31 (80.6%) from the free-throw line on the evening.

Pace shot 23-for-63 (36.5%) from the field, 6-for-21 (28.6%) from behind the arc and 9-for-12 (75.0%) from the charity stripe.

The Owls return to action on Tuesday, Jan. 1 when they take on Delta State in a neutral floor, non-conference contest. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. at UWF Fieldhouse in Pensacola, Fla.