Box Score

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Seniors Jacqueline Johannes (Southbury, Conn.) and Allyson Smith (East Hampton, Conn.) led the way for the Owls on Senior Night, as the Southern Connecticut State University women's basketball team upended Assumption, 67-60, on Wednesday evening at Moore Field House. Prior to the contest, the women's basketball program honored their two senior athletes with a brief ceremony to celebrate their memorable careers.

With the win, the Owls improved to 13-14, 10-12 in the league, solidifying the ninth seed in the Northeast-10 Conference. After an intense series of games throughout the night, it was determined that Southern will head to the University of New Haven on Sunday, February 28 for the first round of the 2010 Northeast-10 Conference Tournament.

After a slow offensive start from both squads, the duo of Johannes and Smith propelled the Owls to a 12-4 run late in the opening stanza. The two seniors combined for 19 points on 7-of-16 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds through the first 20 minutes. Coupled with strong team defensive effort, the Owls took a 30-20 lead into the locker rooms at halftime.

After the intermission, Assumption raced out to a 6-2 advantage through the first three minutes of play. Kayla Parker notched four points during the stretch, cutting their 10 point deficit to just four.

However with the three-point field goal working for the Owls, Southern battled back with an 11-4 run to extend its lead back to double digits. Freshman Camille Fantini (Andover, Mass.) capped off the run with a steal that led to a fast-break lay-up for a 43-32 advantage.

The Greyhounds chipped away down the final stretch, but the Owls knocked down some key free-throws to put the game out of reach. One last free-three in the closing seconds from Alex Fiola (Fall River, Mass.) finalized a seven point victory at home.

Johannes led the way for the Owls with 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds in the win. Smith chimed in with 14 points and three assists, while Logan Lentz (Chambersburg, Pa.) added 10 points. Fantini finished with eight points, whereas Fiola and Lauren Allen (Sterling Heights, Mich.) each tossed in six points.

The Owls return to action on Sunday at the University of New Haven. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. at the Charger Gymnasium in West Haven, Conn.