Box Score

COLCHESTER, Vt. – The Southern Connecticut State University women's basketball team trailed by as many as 16 early in the second half to Saint Michael's, but stormed all the way back to tie the game at 60  before a layup by Cara Deroy in the closing seconds gave the Purple Knights (5-9, 3-7 Northeast-10) the win, 62-60, on Tuesday night in a Northeast-10 game. 
 
Freshman Jackie Beathea (Annandale, Va.) led the Owls (4-9, 1-9 Northeast-10) scoring 21 points and pulling down nine rebounds in the loss. Sophomore Mariah Hankton (Upper Marlboro, Md.) also contributed 21 points for the Owls.
 
Nicole Adach was one of three players in double-figures for Saint Michael's, tallying a team high 20 points in the victory.
 
There were four lead changes through the first 15 minutes and neither team led by more than four. However, the last five minutes were dominated by the Purple Knights. Saint Michael's scored 22 points in the last 5:41 and Adach converted a layup with 11 seconds left to complete a 22-4 run to end the first half and give the Purple Knights a 40-26 lead going into the break.
 
After trailing by 16 early in the second half, 44-28, the Owls would chip away at the lead. After Camille Fantini (Andover, Mass.) hit a jumper to cut the lead to 11, Beathea would add a layup to make the Purple Knights lead only single-digits.
 
Saint Michael's went scoreless during a seven minute span in the middle of the second half before Adach would hit a three pointer to give the Purple Knights a 12 point lead, 49-37.
 
Southern would respond with a 10-0 run late in the second half capped off by a Katie Stopera (Hollis, N.H.) triple to give the Owls their first lead sense early in the first half, 56-55. Cara Deroy would then give the lead back to Saint Michael's with two free throws with just under two minutes to go.
 
With 30 seconds remaining, Hankton would convert a layup to tie the game at 60, but Deroy would answer the other end with a bucket of her own and the Purple Knights would go on to win in a thrilling Northeast-10 contest, 62-60.
 
Fantini also was in double-figures with 11 points to go with eight assists and five rebounds.
 
Southern falls to 4-9 overall and 1-9 in conference play and will be back in action Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at Moore Field House against Merrimack.