Box Score
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Junior
LaTisha Hatcher (Detroit, Mich.) registered a team-high 18 points on Saturday afternoon, but the Southern Connecticut State University women's basketball team was defeated by Southern New Hampshire at Moore Field House. The Penmen connected on 23-of-44 (52%) field goal attempts en route to a 73-68 victory.
With the loss, the Owls have fallen to 9-9, 6-7 in the Northeast-10 Conference. Southern New Hampshire improved to 10-10, 6-7 in league play.
After a sluggish start to the game,
Alex Fiola (Fall River, Mass.) and
Allyson Smith (East Hampton, Conn.) sparked the Owls' offense midway through the opening stanza. Fiola and Smith each connected on shots from behind the arc, en route to a 16-8 run. Smith led Southern with nine points on 3-of-4 shooting, as the Owls claimed a two point lead at halftime, 36-34.
After the intermission, it became very evident that this game would be decided in the closing minutes. In a second half that featured seven ties and seven lead changes, neither team managed to take control.
In the closing minutes, back-to-back lay-ups by Hatcher pulled the Owls to within one point with 1:28 remaining in regulation. However, Ashara Carrington capped off her 21 point performance with a fast break lay-up and a free-throw after an intentional foul was called. On the ensuing possession, Sloane Sorrell completed a three-point play that extended the margin to seven points with 43 seconds left.
Logan Lentz and Hatcher each knocked down lay-ups in the waning seconds but the visiting Penmen made their free-throws down the stretch. With the defeat, the Owls fell below Southern New Hampshire in the Northeast-10 Conference standings.
Hatcher finished with 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting and hauled in three rebounds for the Owls. Smith was next in line with 11 points and four rebounds, while Fiola added a season-best nine points. Lentz and
Shelley Pierson (Watervliet, N.Y.) each tallied eight points, whereas
Jacqueline Johannes (Southbury, Conn.) and
Reilly Poirier (Dennis, Mass.) chipped in with six points apiece.
The Owls return to action on Jan. 26 with an away game against Merrimack. Game time is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in North Andover, Mass.
