Complete Game Notes as a PDF

A NEW SEASON BEGINS
The Southern Connecticut State University men's basketball team opens its 2009-10 season at home this year. The squad will host Felician in a non-conference game at 4 p.m. on Sunday, November 15 at Moore Field House.

KEY RETURNERS
The Owls have just five returning players from last year's squad but they will be looked upon to lead the team this season. Senior John Mazzarella was a force down low in 2008-09 and his leadership will play a pivotal role for the Owls in 2009-10. Juniors Lance Long and Andrew Zito return with six years of veteran experience and sophomores Chris Harris and Kieran Ramsey look to improve on impressive freshman seasons.

WELCOME ABOARD
The Owls welcome seven newcomers to this year's squad including veterans Johnnie Bird, Clyde Chapman and Dexton Williamson and freshmen Tobin Carberry, Brandon Ennis, Ante Cosic and Jonathan Schofield.

IN THE NORTHEAST-10 PRESEASON POLL
The Owls have been ranked No. 16 in this year's Northeast-10 Preseason Coaches Poll.

GOING OUT STRONG
On Feb. 24, 2009, the Owls honored their three senior class members; Terron Jones, Preston Bell and Justin Gardenhire before their game against Le Moyne. In his final game as an Owl, Jones dropped a career-high 27 points as he went 9-for-17 from the floor and 9-for-12 from the line. He also grabbed six boards, had two steals and blocked one shot to earn recognition on the Northeast-10 Weekly Honor Roll. Bell joined him on the weekly honor roll for his stellar performance as he scored 19 points on 7-for-12 shooting. He also pulled down five boards and was a defensive force with four steals. Gardenhire dished out a career-high eight assists and added seven points to end his career at Southern.

STEPPING UP
On Saturday, Feb. 21, 2009, freshman forward Kieran Ramsey stepped right up for the Owls as he dropped a career-high 22 points on 10-for-16 shooting. He also grabbed 13 boards; both stats were game-highs. Saturday's double-double against Merrimack was Ramsey's fifth of the season. As a freshman, Ramsey proved he can be a strong contributor for the Owls in years to come.

LEADING THE OFFENSE
Derrick Corbett led the Owls in scoring during the 2008-09 campaign with a total of 272 points, averaging 11.3 points per game. Joining Corbett in double-digits were seniors Preston Bell and Terron Jones. Bell and Jones finished their senior seasons with 11.3 and 10.9 points per game respectively. Corbett also led the Owls in 3-point field goals made with 39 on 113 attempts (.345). He was second on the team in 3-point field goal percentage behind sophomore Lance Long who made .421 percent from behind-the-arc but only took 19 attempts. Jones made the most trips to the line and shot a team-best .811 percent from the charity stripe and freshman Chris Harris was the leading assist man with 2.7 per game.

BLOCK PARTY
John Mazzarella finished the 2008-09 season ranked third in the Northeast-10 Conference in blocks per game with 2.42. Earlier in the season, Mazzarella had a career-high seven blocks against Pace (1/10). He also had two games this season in which he blocked six shots each.

OVERTIME THRILLER
On Feb. 10, 2009, the Owls faced off against St. Michael's for the second time during the season and first time at Moore Field House. The Purple Knights forced overtime but the Owls remained composed. In the final five minutes, freshman guard Chris Harris took control and dropped two buckets to tie the game at 64-64. With 31 seconds remaining, senior guard Terron Jones was fouled and sent to the line. He hit one of two foul shots to give his team the lead and the victory, 65-64.

LEADING THE OWLS TO VICTORY
In the game against St. Michael's (2/10), Terron Jones had the game of his career. He dropped 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting and grabbed 11 boards, both career-highs. Most importantly, his performance led the Owls to their first Northeast-10 win. Jones was also 5-for-6 from the line and made the game winning foul shot with 31 seconds remaining to defeat St. Michael's in overtime, 65-64. The Purple Knights had no answer for Jones as he continuously made great back-door cuts for easy lay-ups.
DOWNLOW PRESENCE
Junior center John Mazzarella and freshman forward Kieran Ramsey had a combined 46 rebounds in two conference games on Nov. 19 and Nov. 22. Mazzarella had back-to-back games with a career-high 15 rebounds a piece and totaled six blocks. Against St. Rose (11/22) he dropped a double-double with 10 points and 15 boards. On Nov. 22, Ramsey recorded his second double-double in only his fourth game with the Owls and set a career-high 16 points against Saint Michael's.

OWLS ON THE HONOR ROLL
Seniors Terron Jones and Preston Bell, junior John Mazzarella and freshman Kieran Ramsey earned recognition on the Northeast-10 Conference Weekly Honor Roll last season. Jones was selected on Feb. 16 and March 2, Bell was selected on March 2, Mazzarella was selected on Dec. 1 and Dec. 15 and Kieran Ramsey was honored on Feb. 23.

ON DECK
The Owls return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 18 as they travel to Le Moyne for a Northeast-10 match-up. The game is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. in Syracuse, N.Y.