Box Score





NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Senior guard Greg Langston (Stratford, Conn.) hit the game-winning three-pointer with 6.5 seconds left as the No. 3/6 nationally ranked Southern Connecticut State University men's basketball team rallied from an eight-point second half deficit to defeat New Haven, 73-71 in the Northeast-10 Conference Championship.

The scene was set when Jeffrey Adkins, the contest's leading scorer with 28 for UNH, answered a Luke Houston (Pearl River, N.Y.) trey with a running layup with 46 seconds left. 

Southern Connecticut brought the ball down and worked a three-pointer for Deshawn Murphy (Hamden, Conn.). The sophomore's attempt clanged off the iron into the arms of Tylon Smith (Manchester, Conn.). With the shot clock off, the Owls' tri-captain brought the ball out to run the clock and give Langston his senior moment at the top of the key.

The ensuing running floater by Adkins was off the mark.

The Owls earned their first NE-10 title in one of the most emotionally-charged games, which had 15 lead changes and six ties, in Moore Field House history.

SCSU trailed seven, 58-51, with nine minutes left and the contingent of Chargers' faithful were feeling it. Not three minutes later the game was tied for the fourth time at 60 on a Murphy three-pointer, a second chance shot made possible by Houston soaring to haul in the rebound, and the Blue Crew was rocking. Michael Mallory (Waterbury, Conn.) had four of the home team's nine points during the run.


Four Owls scored in double figures, led by 22 from Smith.


The Northeast-10 Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Player had seven assists and four rebounds.

Mallory, the 2014 NE-10 Rookie of the Year, scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds. The freshman earned a spot on the NE-10 All-Tournament team.


In addition to his stellar work on defense, Houston had 13 points, while Murphy tallied 12.

Langston, the Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year, was significantly hindered by the Chargers' Eric Anderson. The forward showed why he was selected the Conference's Defensive Player of the Year, holding Langston to a mere six points on two-of-13 shooting.  The senior, also on the NE-10 All-Tournament Team, crashed the boards hard for the Owls securing eight rebounds, two of them offensive.

The Owls jumped out to an early lead, leading 20-11 nine minutes in. From there the visitors got right back into the game, going on a 10-2 run over the next 270 seconds.

At the half, SCSU led 36-35.  Smith topped the hosts with 16 first-half points, while Adkins had 10.

UNH had three players, Adkins, Justin Exum and Cyrus James, hit double figures. James and Adkins each had nine rebounds in the loss.


With the victory, the Owls improve to 27-2 on the season and earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by virtue of today's Conference title win.

The team will receive confirmation that they will be hosting the NCAA Tournament East Regional tomorrow night.