Complete Game Notes as a PDF

THE WEEK AHEAD
The Southern Connecticut State University men's basketball team (0-9, 0-6 NE-10) returns to action this week after a long break. In its first contest, the team will travel to New York for a non-conference game against Dowling. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 29. The Owls remain on the road for their next game against NE-10 opponent Assumption. Tip-off is set for Saturday, Jan. 3 at 3:30 p.m.

BEGINNING OF A NEW YEAR
Saturday, Jan. 3 marks the Owls first game of 2009. The team hopes to start the new year strong as they face Assumption (5-4, 4-3 NE-10). Leading the way for the Owls is senior forward Preston Bell, averaging a team-best 14.5 points per game. Junior center John Mazzarella and freshman forward Kieran Ramsey look to control the boards once again as they rank second and third respectively in the conference for rebounds per game.

OWLS ON THE HONOR ROLL
Junior center John Mazzarella has earned recognition on the Northeast-10 Conference weekly honor roll twice this season. He was selected to the weekly honor roll on Dec. 1 for his performance against Pace and Dec. 15 for his performances against Stonehill and New Haven.

RETURNING A STRONG LINEUP
SCSU will look for its veterans to lead the team this season as they welcome back 10 returning players from last year's squad. Three of the team's top four scorers in 2007-08 return to the team's lineup including seniors Justin Gardenhire and Preston Bell as well as junior Trevor Harris.

WELCOME ABOARD
The Owls welcome two newcomers to this year's team including freshmen guard Chris Harris and forward Kieran Ramsey.

IN THE NORTHEAST-1O PRESEASON POLL
The Owls have been ranked No. 15 in this year's Northeast-10 Preseason Coaches Poll.

GOING OUT WITH A BANG
The Owls' defeated the University of Massachusetts-Lowell by a score of 61-43 in their final home game of the 2007-08 season. The team hopes for similar success this season on Senior Night, which will be played on Feb. 24 against Le Moyne at 7:30 p.m.

SETTING THE STANDARD
A trio of first year Owls in 2007-08, Andrew Zito, Lance Long and Tocari Davis, set career highs in the team's Feb. 16 game at Bryant. Zito scored a career-high 10 points. Long netted six points to mark a new career-best and also dished out a career-high three assists. Davis matched his career-high of eight points and set career highs in rebounds and assists with five of each. Davis played every minute of the game before fouling out with 22 seconds remaining.

RUNNING THE POINT
In 2007-08, Trevor Harris dished out a career-high 11 assists against Pace on Feb. 13. The Nanuet, N.Y. native was the Owls leading assist man on the season, as he dished out 102 dimes. Harris also led the 2006-07 club with 3.3 assists per game.

AN OFFENSIVE OUTBURST
In the 2007-08 campaign, the Owls scored a season-high 89 points in their win over Dominican on Dec. 28. 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 on Feb. 25, 2003, when they defeated Le Moyne by a score of 91-75.

ON DECK
The Owls return to the court on Tuesday, Jan. 6 for a conference game against AIC. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Moore Field House.