Boxscore

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Senior Ktrice McNeill (Bronx, N.Y.) scored 18 points and three other Owls scored in double figures as the Southern Connecticut State University men's basketball team won its second consecutive game on Sunday afternoon, defeating the Dowling Golden Lions by a score of 78-64 at Moore Fieldhouse in New Haven. Sophomore Trevor Harris (Nanuet, N.Y.) added 11 points and a game-high six assists and junior Preston Bell (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and sophomore John Mazzarella (Wallingford, Conn.) each added 10 points for Southern Connecticut. Win the victory, the Owls improved to 3-7 while Dowling remained winless at 0-10.

In the first half, the Owls dominated the battle down low, outscoring Dowling 20-10 in the paint. Southern Connecticut also added five field goals from behind the arc, with two coming from junior Derrick Corbett (New Haven, Conn.) and one each coming from Bell, Harris and junior Justin Gardenhire (Rosedale, N.Y.). Overall, the Owls shot 18-for-33 (.545) from the floor in the first half, propelling them to a 44-32 lead entering the intermission. Bell led all scorers in the first half with 10 points. Senior forward Devon Sullivan (Jamaica, N.Y.) pulled down nine of his game-high 10 rebounds in the opening frame. Genc Selimi led the scoring for Dowling with nine points.

After the intermission, the Owls picked up where they left off, scoring 26 more points in the paint to Dowling's 16. McNeill scored 12 of his team-high 18 points from the paint in the second half. The Golden Lions would not come within 10 points of Southern Connecticut in the second frame, as the Owls took the victory by a score of 78-64. The 64 points allowed by the Owls' defense was the fewest given up this season.

Corbett scored eight points for the game, Gardenhire finished with seven, Sullivan and junior Terron Jones (Bridgeport, Conn.) each added six, and freshman Lance Long (New Haven, Conn.) added the first two points of his career with a pair of free throws to round out the Southern Connecticut scoring.

Selimi led all scorers with 21 points, and also led Dowling in rebounds with nine. James St. Roberts and Keith Nandin also scored in double figures for the Golden Lions with 13 and 14 points respectively.

For the game, Southern Connecticut shot 31-for-62 (.500) from the floor, 5-for-18 (.278) from behind the arc and 8-for-11 (.647) at the free throw line. Dowling shot 24-for-55 (.436) from the field, 7-for-14 (.500) from three point range and 6-for-10 (.600) from the charity stripe.

The Owls kick off 2008 on Saturday, Jan. 5 as they host the Franklin Pierce University Ravens in a Northeast-10 Conference contest. The action tips off from Moore Fieldhouse in New Haven at 3:30 p.m.