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TODAY'S GAME
The Southern Connecticut State University men's basketball team kicks off 2008 by resuming its Northeast-10 Conference schedule against the Franklin Pierce University Ravens. The Owls enter the contest at 3-7 overall and 0-6 in the Northeast-10 Conference. The action tips off from Moore Fieldhouse in New Haven, Conn. at 3:30 p.m. The game will also be broadcast live via the Internet at www.SportingNewsCT.com.

LAST TIME OUT
The Owls won their second straight game, defeating the Dowling College Golden Lions by a score of 78-64. Ktrice McNeill led the Southern Connecticut offense with 18 points. Trevor Harris, Preston Bell and John Mazzarella also scored in double figures for the Owls.

SCOUTING THE RAVENS
Franklin Pierce enters the game at 5-7 overall and 1-6 in the Northeast-10 Conference. In their last outing, a 63-60 non-conference loss to Adelphi, Kinard Dozier led the Ravens offense with 14 points, connecting on 4-for-8 shots from the field to go with a 6-for-9 effort at the free throw line, adding three rebounds and three assists. Terrell Ray collected 12 points and Rimas Varanauskas chipped in 10 points. For the season, the Franklin Pierce offense is led by 14.0 points per game from junior guard Timothy Munch. Munch is the only Raven averaging double figures in points. Sophomore guard Marcus Wellman drives the rebounding effort with 4.8 per contest.

BREAKING DOWN THE RECORDS
The Owls are 2-4 at home this season. They are 0-3 at home in Northeast-10 play and 0-6 in the conference overall. Franklin Pierce is currently 1-4 in road games. The Ravens are 0-3 on the road in Northeast-10 Conference games and 1-6 in conference play overall.

AGAINST COMMON OPPONENTS
The Owls and Ravens have both defeated non-conference opponents Dominican and Dowling. Franklin Pierce has also defeated Le Moyne. SCSU lost at Le Moyne on Nov. 28.

HISTORY LESSON
Franklin Pierce leads the all-time series by a 23-11 mark. The Ravens have won five consecutive meetings. The Owls last victory over Franklin Pierce came in the 2003-04 season.

LEADING THE SCORING ATTACK
Senior forward Ktrice McNeill leads the Southern Connecticut offense in the 2007-08 campaign with 15.1 points per game. He posted the game-high for the Owls in four consecutive games spanning Nov. 28 to Dec. 8, averaging 19.5 points per contest in that span. McNeill has scored in double figures in the Owls' last eight games. He also leads the team in field goal percentage at 66-for-105 (.629), slotting him at fourth in the Northeast-10 Conference. Most recently, McNeill scored a team-high 20 points against Dowling on Dec. 30.

RIGHT BEHIND HIM
Junior guard Justin Gardenhire and sophomore guard Trevor Harris are also averaging double figures for the Owls with 11.4 and 11.2 points per game respectively.

GETTING IN THE GROOVE
After holding a career-high of eight points through his first 30 collegiate games, sophomore center John Mazzarella has scored in double figures in his past two outings. Mazzarella bumped his career-high into double figures with an 11 point output against Dominican on Dec. 28. Two days later, the sophomore once again netted double figures with 10 points against Dowling.

A DECEMBER TO REMEMBER
Senior forward Ktrice McNeill led the Owls in scoring during the team's six games in December with an average of 18.2 points per contest. He also ranked second in rebounding behind Devon Sullivan with 6.2 boards per game. McNeill led the team in scoring four times in the month and claimed or shared the game-high in rebounds twice. For his efforts, the Bronx, N.Y. native was named to the Northeast-10 Weekly Honor Roll on three occasions, failing to make the list only for the week ending Dec. 16, a week in which the Owls did not play.

AN OFFENSIVE OUTBURST…
The Owls scored a season-high 89 points in their win over Dominican on Dec. 28. Junior forward Preston Bell led the offensive effort with a career-high 22 points. The Owls' previous season-high of 80 points came in the team's season opening loss to St. Anselm on Nov. 17. Southern Connecticut last scored 89 or more points in a game on Feb. 4, 2006 in a 102-92 overtime loss at Merrimack. SCSU last scored 89 or more points in a 40 minute contest in the 2002-03 season, defeating Le Moyne by a score of 91-75.

…AND A DEFENSIVE LOCKDOWN
Southern Connecticut also set a defensive benchmark by holding Dominican to 70 points. Two days later, the Owls bested that mark as they allowed just 64 points against Dowling. The Owls had allowed 74 or more points in their first eight contests of the season.

SHARING THE WEALTH
In each of the last two games, nine different Owls have played 10 or more minutes. For the season, 10 Owls are averaging double figures in minutes played and 11 different SCSU players have made two or more starts.

WELCOME TO THE CLUB
With his two free throws against Dowling on Dec. 30, freshman guard Lance Long became the 12th Owl to score this season. Every Southern Connecticut player who has seen game action has now scored.

THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE
Sophomore center John Mazzarella established career highs with 11 points and 13 rebounds en route to his first career double-double in the Owls 89-70 win against Dominican on Dec. 28. The Wallingford, Conn. native shot 5-for-6 (.833) from the field and also blocked two shots in that game. This game marked the second consecutive outing in which Mazzarella bumped up his career highs in both points and rebounds, as he posted eight points and six rebounds in the Owls' previous contest against Felician on Dec. 21. Mazzarella's 13 rebounds matched the game-high for any Southern Connecticut player this season set by senior forward Devon Sullivan on Dec. 6 at Massachusetts-Lowell.

IT TOLLS FOR THEE
Junior forward Preston Bell scored a game- and career-high 22 points against Dominican on Dec. 28. Bell also matched his career highs in rebounds (five) and assists (two).

RUNNING THE POINT
Despite being held to a season low of one point, sophomore guard Trevor Harris contributed to the Owls' 89-70 victory over Dominican on Dec. 28 with a team season-high nine assists. On the season, the Nanuet, N.Y. native is the Owls' leading assist man with 47 dimes (4.7 apg). Harris led the 2006-07 Owls with 3.3 per contest.

SEND IT BACK!
Sophomore center John Mazzarella blocked five shots on Dec. 21 against Felician College. On the season, Mazzarella's 17 rejections (1.7 per game) lead the Owls and place him fourth in the Northeast-10 Conference through games played on Jan. 2. As a team, the Owls are third in the Northeast-10 with 3.80 blocked shots per game.

CLEANING THE GLASS
Senior forward Devon Sullivan pulled down a season-high 13 rebounds in consecutive games, once against Massachusetts-Lowell on Dec. 6 and then again two days later at American International on Dec. 8. On the season, Sullivan leads the Owls with 7.5 rebounds per contest, putting him on pace to break into the top ten in career rebounds in Southern Connecticut history this season. Senior forward Ktrice McNeill leads SCSU with 28 offensive rebounds, and is contributing 6.3 boards per game overall.

GRAB YOUR WINDEX
As a team, Southern Connecticut is among the best in the Northeast-10 Conference in several rebounding categories. The Owls are second in the conference in overall rebounding with 39.3 per game, fourth in rebounding margin at +2.7 and second in offensive rebounding with 13.90 per game.

MAKING HIS SHOTS COUNT
Senior forward Ktrice McNeill currently holds a ca¬reer field goal percentage of .589 (192-for-326). If maintained, that figure will put McNeill in the SCSU record books for highest career field goal percentage, topping Jon Blandin, who con¬nected to the tune of .583 from the field from 1995 through 1998. Most re¬cently, McNeill shot 9-for-14 from the floor against Dowling on Dec. 30.

ACCEPTING CHARITY
Junior guard Justin Gardenhire has delivered two foul shooting performances of 8-for-10 (Nov. 17 against St. Anselm and Nov. 25 at New Haven) and a 7-for-8 shooting day at the stripe (Dec. 6 at Massachusetts-Lowell). On the season, Gardenhire is 38-for-52 (.731), leading the team in free throws made and attempted, and also slotting him second behind Devon Sullivan (22-for-29, .759) in free throw percentage.

STEP RIGHT UP
The six newcomers to the SCSU lineup have accounted for 24.4 points per game this season, over 32% of the team's total scoring. Junior guard Justin Gardenhire leads the new Owls in scoring with 11.4 points per contest.

SETTING THE BAR
In his fifth game in an SCSU uniform against No. 19 Saint Michael's on Dec. 1, junior forward Preston Bell posted 11 points, pulled down five rebounds, and dished out two assists in 26 minutes of action. All of these statistics marked career highs for Bell.

AN IMPRESSIVE DEBUT
Junior guard Justin Gardenhire scored a team-high 20 points in his Southern Connecticut debut against St. Anselm on Nov. 17. Gardenhire shot 6-for-13 (.462) from the field and 8-for-10 (.800) from the free throw line in the game. His 20 point performance remains his career high through nine games.

BACK IN ACTION
After missing the entire 2006-07 season, senior forward Ktrice McNeill returns to the Owls lineup in the 2007-08 campaign. In the 2005-06 season, McNeill posted 10.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game for the Owls.

LEADING THE SQUAD
Senior forwards Devon Sullivan and Ktrice McNeill have been named team captains for the 2007-08 season.

ON DECK
The Owls return to the court on Thursday, Jan. 10 as they host the second game of their season series with the Le Moyne Dolphins. The action tips off from Moore Fieldhouse in New Haven, Conn. at 7:30 p.m., and will be broadcast live via the Internet at www.SportingNewsCT.com.