boxscore

COLCHESTER, Vt.. – Despite a double-double from senior forward Devon Sullivan (Jamaica, N.Y.), the Southern Connecticut State University men's basketball team dropped a nailbiter at Saint Michael's College on Saturday afternoon from the Ross Sports Center in Colchester, Vt. by a score of 58-54. With the loss, the Owls fell to 6-16 overall and 2-15 in the Northeast-10 Conference. Saint Michael's improved to 7-14 overall and 5-12 in conference play.

Neither squad developed a clear advantage in the first half, with the largest lead by either team coming at 4:56 when the Owls opened up a 22-17 advantage. Nine different Southern Connecticut players scored in the first half, with senior forward Ktrice McNeill (Bronx, N.Y.) leading the offense with six points. Brian Monahan, the leading scorer in the Northeast-10 Conference this season, led all scorers with seven points. The Owls dominated the boards in the first half to the tune of 27-12, including a 12-2 advantage on the offensive glass. Sullivan hauled in seven rebounds to lead the effort. McNeill pulled down six, including four on the offensive end. Both teams shot under 40% from the floor and the two squads matched each other behind the arc at 4-for-11 (36.4%). All told, the Owls entered the intermission leading by four, at 29-25.

The Owls opened the second half on a 6-0 run, but the Purple Knights answered immediately with a 13-3 run over the next 5:01 to tie the score at 38-38. Southern Connecticut stormed right back with a 9-0 run to take the lead at 47-38 with 7:25 remaining. Saint Michael's then took its turn to run, netting the next six points to close the gap to three points. Saint Michael's took the lead for good at 54-52 on a pair of James Sorrentine free throws with 1:26 remaining. The Purple Knights ended the game on a 12-2 run over the final 3:13 to take the victory at 58-54.

Sullivan finished with 11 points and a game-high 11 rebounds to round out his second double-double of the season. McNeill finished with eight points and also hauled in 11 boards to match his season-high, which was also set against Saint Michael's in the first meeting on Dec. 1 in New Haven. Junior forward Preston Bell (Bronx, N.Y.) matched Sullivan's 11 points for Southern Connecticut. Junior guards Justin Gardenhire (Rosedale, N.Y.) and Derrick Corbett (New Haven, Conn.) netted seven and five points respectively for the Owls. Sophomore guard Trevor Harris (Nanuet, N.Y.) scored four, as did his classmate, center John Mazzarella (Wallingford, Conn.). Freshman guard Lance Long (New Haven, Conn.) and junior guard Terron Jones (Bridgeport, Conn.) rounded out the Southern Connecticut scoring effort with two points apiece. Gardenhire led the Owls with four assists.

Brian Monahan led all scorers with 16 points. Sorrentine added 13 for the Purple Knights, and freshman Nate Birr netted 14, including six clutch free throws in the final 1:31 of the contest.

The Owls return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 13 as they host Pace University in a Northeast-10 Conference clash. The action tips off from Moore Fieldhouse at 7:30 p.m.