Boxscore

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Senior forward Kate Lynch (Rumford, R.I.) led all scorers with 25 points and senior guard Michelle Martinik (Monroe, Conn.) hit a clutch three-pointer on Saturday afternoon as the No. 17 nationally ranked Southern Connecticut State University women's basketball team squeaked past American International, 58-56, in Northeast-10 Conference play at Moore Fieldhouse. Alexis Castro recorded a double-double with 21 points and a game-best 11 rebounds for AIC. With the victory, SCSU improves to 12-4 (8-3 NE-10) while AIC falls to 8-6 (5-5 NE-10) with the loss.

The teams traded buckets over the initial portion of the first half, before AIC used an 8-3 run to take a 17-11 lead with 8:41 remaining in the period. However, SCSU would close the half with an 8-2 run keyed by a pair of layups from Lynch over the final 1:41 to take a 24-21 lead into the intermission

Lynch led all scorers in the first half with 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting. Senior forward Rochelle Johnson (Norwalk, Conn.) led the Owls with four rebounds in the opening stanza.

For AIC, Castro and Stacy Boisvert each scored six points in the first period. Castro matched SCSU's Johnson for the half high with four rebounds.

AIC began the second half on a 9-0 run to erase the halftime deficit and take a 30-27 lead on a three-point play by Castro with 16:48 to play. From there, the two teams would trade buckets with neither squad leading by more than four the rest of the way. With AIC leading by two and 2:17 remaining, Martinik took a pass from Lynch and buried a three-pointer to give SCSU a one-point lead at 53-52. After a pair of Boisvert free throws gave the Yellow Jackets the lead again, Lynch would convert a three-point play with 1:09 to go which gave the Owls a 56-54 lead they would not relinquish.

SCSU's Martinik and junior guard Lexi Allen (Southbury, Conn.) split a pair of free throws each and the Owls remained ahead by two with time running down. AIC's Castro got an open look at a three-pointer at the buzzer, but the shot bounced out and SCSU escaped with the 58-56 victory.

For SCSU, Lynch led the way with a game-high 25 points on 8-for-17 field goal shooting and 9-for-11 free throw shooting to move into fifth place on SCSU's all-time scoring list. Johnson narrowly missed a double-double as she chipped in eight points and a team-best nine rebounds. Allen grabbed a career-high eight rebounds on the afternoon while Lynch led the Owls with four assists.

For AIC, Castro led the way with her second double-double of the season against SCSU. She tallied 21 points on 4-for-9 field goal shooting and 13-for-16 from the foul line to go with a game-high 11 rebounds. Boisvert also tallied double figures for the Yellow Jackets with 13 points on 5-for-8 from the floor. Castro dished out a game-high six assists on the afternoon.

SCSU shot 20-for-61 (32.8%) from the floor, 3-for-12 (25.0%) from three-point range and 15-for-21 (71.4%) from the free-throw line on the evening.

American International shot 18-for-39 (46.2%) from the field, 0-for-3 from behind the arc and 20-for-26 (76.9%) from the charity stripe.

The Owls return to action on Saturday, Jan. 19 when they visit Assumption for a Northeast-10 Conference contest. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at Laska Gym in Worcester, Mass.