Box Score

RINDGE, N.H. - Senior forward Shelley Pierson (Watervliet, N.Y.) tallied a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds, while junior forward Sylvonya Moore (Stockton, Calif.) scored a game-high 26 points to lead the Southern Connecticut State University women's basketball team to a 71-60 win at No. 10 nationally ranked Franklin Pierce on Saturday.

The Owls are now 4-5 overall, while the Ravens drop to 8-2. Saturday's game was considered a non-league matchup.

It was a close affair for most of the first half, including five ties in the early going. The final deadlock of the half occurred with just under seven minutes to go in the stanza and evened the score at 21-21. However, the Owls rolled off seven straight points to take a 28-21 lead. The cushion stretched to 10 points before half's end, and stood at nine points, 38-29, at halftime.

After a free throw by Moore stretched the Owls' lead to 10 in the opening 30 seconds of the second half, Franklin Pierce went on an 8-0 run to close within a bucket at 39-37. In all, the Ravens scored 16 of the first 22 points after the intermission to take a 45-44 lead with 12:42 remaining.

However, the Owls scored nine in a row, five of which were tallied by Camille Fantini (Andover, Mass.), to take a 53-45 lead with 9:41 remaining.

The Ravens would get as close as three in the closing minutes, but SCSU connected on 7-of-8 free throws in the final 62 seconds to secure the win.

Alex Fiola (Fall River, Mass.) also reached double digits for the Owls, as she scored a dozen points.

The Owls will now break for final exams and the holidays and return to action on Dec. 30 for a home game against Molloy.