Box Score

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The nationally ranked No. 14/20 Southern Connecticut State men's basketball team outscored Bentley 46-31 in the second half, en route to an 89-77 victory on Saturday afternoon. Senior Luke Houston (Pearl River, N.Y.) led all scorers with 21 points, while adding six rebounds and three steals. Senior Tylon Smith (Manchester, Conn.) had a team-high eight rebounds to go along with 19 points and a game-high five assists. Sophomore Michael Mallory (Waterbury, Conn.) chipped in 18 points, six rebounds, two steals and tied a career-high with four blocks. Junior Desmond Williams (Torrington, Conn.) totaled 18 points, four rebounds, two blocks and two steals. The Owls improve to 12-3 (7-1 NE-10) with their fourth win in a row, while the Falcons' six game winning streak comes to an end, dropping their record to 9-6 (4-5 NE-10).

Southern trailed 46-43 going into the locker room despite a strong shooting performance in the opening 20 minutes. The team shot 54.5 percent (18-for-33), including 44.4 percent (4-for-9) from beyond the arch in the opening frame.

The Falcons led for much of the first half, but only got the lead to as much as six on four separate occasions. Keegan Hyland gave Bentley a 9-6 lead with a three-pointer at the 16:59 mark, a lead that Bentley would not surrender until the 2:43 mark when junior Stefon Williams (Jamaica N.Y.) sank a jumper for two of his four points, giving the Owls a 38-37 lead. Tyler McFarland quickly gave Bentley the lead back with a three-pointer on their next trip down the court.

The Owls stormed out of the locker room and began the second half on a 10-1 run, staking out to a 53-47 lead. The Falcons then ran off six straight points to tie the game, before Desmond Williams sank one of his three three-pointers, which was followed by a Deshawn Murphy (Hamden, Conn.) three, helping the Owls up their lead to 59-55.

Back-and-forth action followed, until Southern grabbed the lead for good with 7:46 remaining, following a layup from Mallory, making it 71-70. Desmond Williams then sank three free throws after being fouled on a three-point attempt, upping the lead to 74-70.

The Owls final 10 points of the ballgame all came off free throws over the final 1:41 of regulation. The team was 20-for-21 from the line in the game – D. Williams (7-for-7), Houston (7-for-8), while Mallory, Smith and sophomore Austin Carter (Bloomfield, Conn.) were all 2-for-2 throughout the game.

SCSU returns to action on Tuesday with a pivotal Northeast-10 showdown against Saint Anselm. Tip off scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Moore Field House, following the women's game.