Box Score
WEST HAVEN, Conn. – Senior
Allyson Smith (East Hampton, Conn.) of the Southern Connecticut State University women's basketball team tossed in a season-high 20 points, but the Owls dropped a road match-up to New Haven by the final score of 73-58 on Saturday afternoon at Charger Gymnasium. Three Owls finished with double figures in the contest.
With the loss, the Owls descended to 11-11, 8-9 in Northeast-10 competition. The Chargers moved to 11-11, 9-8 in the league.
Offense was the name of the game early on for the two squads. Southern used five three-point field goals to garner a 28-20 advantage through the first 11 minutes of action. Smith led the way for the Owls in the opening stanza, as she netted 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting, including 4-of-5 from behind the arc. However, a late surge by the hosting Chargers only left the Owls ahead by just two points at halftime, 35-33.
After the intermission, UNH recaptured the lead with a 17-2 run through the first eight minutes of play. Dominique Stellmacher accounted for seven points during the stretch, as the Chargers controlled a 50-37 lead with just under 12 minutes left in regulation.
Southern Connecticut was not through yet, as the Owls battled back with a surge of their own. Led by a tenacious defense and seven points from
Alex Fiola (Fall River, Mass.), the Owls cut their deficit to nine points with just over five minutes to go.
Despite the late spurt, the offensive tandem of Stellmacher and Helin Marte was too much to handle for the Owls. The two guards combined for 32 total points, including 22 in the second half. With the win, the Chargers moved one game ahead of the Owls in the Northeast-10 Conference standings.
Smith finished with a game-high 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting and grabbed three rebounds for the visiting Owls.
Shelley Pierson (Watervliet, N.Y.) was two rebounds shy of a double-double with 10 points and eight boards, while Fiola chimed in with 10 points.
The Owls return to action on Feb. 9 with an away game against Pace University. Game time is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in New York, N.Y.
