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No. 14/20 OWLS TO PLAY PAIR OF CROSS-DIVISIONAL MATCHUPS
The Owls (10-3, 5-1 NE-10) will look for their third win in a row on Wednesday, Jan. 7 when they travel to Southern New Hampshire in a regionally televised game on NESNplus. The matchup is also featured as the Northeast-10 Conference Game of the Week. SCSU returns home on Saturday afternoon for a matchup against Bentley.
 
ALL-TIME AGAINST SNHU AND BENTLEY
The Owls enter this week's matchups with a 16-48 all-time mark against the Penmen, and a 7-24 record against Bentley.
 
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
•  Last season, the Owls and Penmen split their two matchups, with SNHU taking the regular season tilt, 99-90, on January 8, and the Owls winning the rematch in the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament on March 2, 75-63. Both contests were at Moore Field House. On Jan. 8, Owls' departed senior Greg Langston led all scorers with 27 points, while Luke Houston added a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Tylon Smith registered 16 points and Austin Carter added nine points and 10 rebounds in what was just the Owls' second loss of the season. For SNHU, departed senior Mike Stys led the Penmen with 23 points, Rodney Sanders added in 21 points, and Elijah Bonsignore totaled 13 points. Chris Walters added 12 points and three steals for SNHU. In the March 2 matchup, Smith led all scorers with 25 points, along with eight rebounds, three assists and three steals to help the Owls' earn its first-ever NE-10 Tournament victory. Walters added 15 points, nine rebounds for SNHU in the losing effort.
• On Jan. 11, the Owls topped Bentley 88-76 in Waltham, Mass. Houston had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, Smith registered 11 points and seven rebounds, while Michael Mallory amassed 13 points and six rebounds. The victory was the first for the Owls at Bentley since the 1989-90 season.

SCOUTING THE PENMEN
SNHU (7-4, 6-2 NE-10) enters the matchup in first place in the NE-10's Northeast Division, but riding a two-game losing streak. The Penmen dropped a 95-84 decision at Merrimack on Jan. 3 and suffered a 71-65 home loss to LIU-Post on Dec. 20. The Penmen defeated Saint Rose 79-59 on Dec. 13 in their only other matchup this season against a NE-10 Southwest Division opponent. SCSU and SNHU have two common opponents on the season - both suffered single digit losses to Saint Michael's, while the Owls were victorious against LIU-Post, who later topped SNHU, 71-65. The Penmen average 75.6 points per game, while surrendering just 66.7 p.p.g. They are led by senior forward Elijah Bonsignore (13.4 p.p.g., 5.5 r.p.g. and 2.4 b.p.g.) and junior guard Rodney Sanders (20 p.p.g., 4.7 r.p.g., 2.5 a.p.g. and 2 s.p.g.). On Saturday at Merrimack, Sanders registered a new career-high with 36 points. Sophomore guard Adrian Oliveira is averaging 7 p.p.g. and a team-high three assists per contest. Sanders 20 p.p.g. is sixth-best in the NE-10 and he is seventh in the conference with a 53.5 fg%. Bonsignore ranks sixth in the conference with a 53.7 fg%. Starting guard BJ Cardarelli averages 9.7 p.p.g. while Devin Gilligan averages 9.3 p.p.g. off the bench.
 
SCOUTING THE FALCONS
Bentley (9-5, 4-4 NE-10) enters the matchup with the Owls riding a six-game winning streak and having won eight of their last nine. The Falcons are coming off a 79-72 win over Saint Anselm and are averaging a 9.5-point margin of victory during their current win streak. Both teams have had the same results (4-1) against their five common opponents this season, each suffering single-digit losses to Saint Michael's. The Falcons are 2-0 against NE-10 Southwest Division opponents this season (Le Moyne and UNH) and are outscoring opponents by an average of 80.8-74.2. Junior forward Tyler McFarland leads the squad with 19.5 p.p.g. (seventh in NE-10) and 7.6 r.p.g. (10th in NE-10). Senior guard Keegan Hyland is second in both categories at 19 p.p.g. (ninth in NE-10) and 6.4 r.p.g. McFarland ranks fourth in the conference in three-point fg% at 49.2 percent, and ninth in the conference with a 52.4 fg%. Starting guard JP Koury averages 10.3 p.p.g. and 4.2 r.p.g. Hyland leads the Falcons with 3.9 assists per contest and junior guard Alex Furness checks in at 7.5 p.p.g. and 3.6 a.p.g.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Owls topped cross-town rival New Haven on Saturday with a 74-65 road win in a rematch of last season's Northeast-10 Championship game. Senior Luke Houston chipped in a team-high 21 points and five assists, and sophomore Michael Mallory added in 19 points, four rebounds and four assists. Senior Tylon Smith added in 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds in the winning effort. Off the bench, sophomore Austin Carter totaled 11 points and seven rebounds in 21 minutes of action. The Owls shot 46.6 percent (27-for-58) from the field, while holding the Chargers to 26.8 percent (20-for-70) shooting.
 
PRIMETIME TELEVISION COVERAGE
Wednesday evening's game at Southern New Hampshire will be regionally televised live on NESNplus. Top-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
 
ROAD WARRIORS
The Owls enter Wednesday night's contest with a perfect 5-0 record on the road this season. The team also boasts a 3-0 record in neutral site matchups.
 
SCORING SPREE
Entering the week, SCSU is ranked sixth in the nation by averaging 93 points per game this season. The Owls are the only East Region team ranked in the top 45 in Division II in scoring. The team's 1,209 total points are third-most in the nation.
 
LIVING DOWNTOWN
The Owls have attempted the ninth-most three-pointers in all of DII this season with 363. Their 143 made three-pointers rank fourth-best in the nation. For the season, the squad is shooting 39.4 percent from beyond the arch.
 
OWL'S AMONG NATION'S LEADERS
Tylon Smith enters the week tied for 21st in DII with 5.8 assists per game. Michael Mallory is tied for 18th in the nation with 264 total points and is 32nd nationally, fourth in the NE-10, with 20.3 points per game.
 
MALLORY TAKING THE NEXT STEP
The reigning NE-10 Rookie of the Year has continued to blossom in his sophomore season. Mallory ranks fourth in the conference with 20.3 points per game and is shooting 51 percent from the field and 86 percent from the free throw line. He is also averaging 4.4 rebounds per game and has a team-high 26 steals. He set a new-career high with 31 points against Caldwell on Nov. 22.
 
HOUSTON SETS NEW CAREER HIGH
Luke Houston set a new career-high with 32 points in the season-opener against Dowling. He has scored at least 27 points on four separate occasions this season.
 
SOARING ATOP THE REGION
The Owls are ranked first in this week's Division II Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA) East Region rankings. The Owls received two first place votes, while American Int'l (ranked No. 3), received one first place vote.
 
REMAINING PRESENT IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
SCSU is currently nationally ranked No. 14 in the Bennett Rankings. The Owls were ranked No. 20 in last week's D2SIDA national rankings and were receiving votes in the official National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II rankings. The newest D2SIDA and NABC national rankings will be released on Tuesday, Jan. 6.
 
SMITH STANDS ALONE ON CAREER ASSISTS LIST
Senior Tylon Smith became the program's all-time leader in career assists on Dec. 17 against Bridgeport. His 411th career assist passed Daryle Breland (1976-80) and T.J. Trimboli (1996-00).
 
HISTORIC START
The Owls 7-0 start to the 2014-15 season is tied for the second best start in program history, matching that of the 1996-97 team.The best start in program history came back during the 1949-50 season when the team opened the campaign 16-0.

EIGHT NET DOUBLE-DIGITS
On Nov. 21 against Felician, the Owls had eight players score in double-figures for the first known time in program history. Deshawn Murphy (18), Tylon Smith (16), Luke Houston (15), Michael Mallory (13), Desmond Williams (12), Michael Bozzuto (11), Austin Carter (11) and Stefon Williams (11) all helped the Owls to a 123-81 victory.
 
SCORING BIG
The 123 point outburst by Southern against Felician on Nov. 21 was tied for the second-most points in program history. The only other time the Owls scored 123 was in the 2000-01 season in a 124-123 OT loss to Pace. The program record of 124 points was set during the 1956-57 campaign against Hillyer (now the University of Hartford).
 
POLL WATCHING
Southern's No. 2 national ranking early in the 2014-15 season matched the highest mark in program history. The Owls peaked as high as No. 2 in the Bennett Rankings last year. Southern's preseason No. 2 mark in the NABC poll was also the highest ranking ever for the Owls in the coaches' poll.
 
PLENTY OF PRESEASON FANFARE FOR SMITH
The only player in Division II to average 19.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in 2013-14, Tylon Smith has received significant attention from the media in the preseason. He was named a preseason All-American by the Sporting News and the Basketball Times and was a "Super 16" pick by the Division II Bulletin.
 
IN THE PRESEASON NE-10 COACHES POLL
In the release of the Northeast-10 Conference preseason coaches' poll, the Owls were picked first in the Southwest Division. SCSU received 14 out of a possible 15 first-place votes.
 
THE CAPTAINS
Head coach Michael Donnelly announced that seniors Tylon Smith and Luke Houston will serve as team captains for the 2014-15 season. It's the second consecutive year that the pair has filled this role.
 
NEW ARRIVAL
The lone newcomer to the Owls' roster this season is another talented Connecticut product, guard Desmond Williams. He was a two-time junior college All-American at the Community College of Rhode Island. In addition, his older brother, Jordan, has played in the NBA with the Nets.
 
WELCOME BACK
Southern Connecticut returns 12 players from last year's squad - seniors Jose Cruz, Luke Houston and Tylon Smith, juniors Stefon Williams, Deshawn Murphy and Jack McCarthy and sophomores Michael Bozzuto, Austin Carter, Michael Mallory, Dominic Migliaro, Jonathan Paul and Lucas Van Nes.
 
GETTING IT DONE ON BOTH ENDS
In addition to collecting a host of accolades for his on the court play, Tylon Smith was named to the 2013-14 Capital One Academic All-America® Division II basketball team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). He was a Third-Team selection.
 
NO EASY GAMES
The Owls will face six teams that reached the NCAA Division II Tournament a year ago (Bridgeport, East Stroudsburg, Franklin Pierce, Le Moyne, New Haven and Saint Anselm).
 
CAPTAINS LEADING BY EXAMPLE
Senior captains Tylon Smith and Luke Houston were both named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court for their work in the classroom and on the court last year. Both have also been recognized as Division II Athletic Directors Association Academic Achievement Award recipients for their classroom prowess in each of the last two years.
 
A SEASON TO REMEMBER
Southern Connecticut finished last year with a record of 30-3 and reached the Elite Eight for the second time in school history, where it lost to the eventual national champion, Central Missouri. Along the way, the Owls also won their first-ever Northeast-10 Conference regular season and tournament titles. SCSU also produced a school-record 19 game winning streak during the course of the year.

IN SEASON OPENERS
The Owls are 29-36 all-time in season-opening games. SCSU has won its last five season openers, including an 104-88 win over Dowling this year.
 
A DIFFERENT YEAR
The Owls won 13 more games last year than in 2012-13. The baker's dozen win improvement was third best in Division II. Here's a look at the teams and the win improvements (2012-13/2013-14 win totals in parentheses).
1. UC-Colorado Springs  +16 (5-21)
2. Delta State   +15 (11-26)
3. Southern Connecticut  +13 (17-30)
3. Cal-State Stanislaus  +13 (10-23)
3. Fort Valley State  +13 (8-21)
 
FROM WAY DOWNTOWN
Deshawn Murphy set a new single-season record with 78 made three-pointers last year, surpassing Angelo Parenti (73, 1988-89). In addition, Murphy's 201 three-point attempts were also a new single-season record.
 
HOME COURT EDGE
Southern Connecticut went 11-1 at Moore Field House in the regular season and was 16-1 on its home court last year.
 
SMITH ETCHES NAME IN RECORD BOOK
Tylon Smith surpassed the 1,000 career points mark on Feb. 19 versus Pace. The guard totaled 1,171 points in his career over his first three years as an Owl. He enters his senior season in 20th place on the all-time scoring list at SCSU and is also 13th in career rebounding.
 
WHAT A TURNAROUND
In the eight seasons prior to the arrival of Mike Donnelly, Southern Connecticut won 34 games. Last year, he guided the Owls to 30 wins.
 
DONNELLY BUILDING A FOUNDATION
Owls' coach Michael Donnelly is in his fifth season at the helm of the SCSU men's basketball program in 2014-15. Over the course of his first four years, he has guided the Owls to steady win total improvements. Donnelly inherited a team that won just two games the year prior to his arrival and followed up with campaigns of 12, 14 and 17 with 30 victories. The 2014 NE-10 and NABC Regional Coach of the Year has a 73-41 record as head coach at SCSU, which includes four straight trips to the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament, a program first. Prior to his hiring at SCSU in May, 2010, Donnelly spent seven years as the head coach at Post University.
 
THE ONE DEPARTURE LEFT QUITE AN IMPACT
The only player not returning from last year's milestone season is Greg Langston, who finished his career as the second-leading scorer in program history with 1,890 points. He capped his career by earning All-America honors from four separate organizations along with Northeast-10 Conference and ECAC Player of the Year honors.
 
MALLORY MAKE A QUICK IMPACT
Guard Michael Mallory made his presence felt during the 2013-14 season, earning ECAC and Northeast-10 Conference Rookie of the Year honors. He finished the year with averages of 15.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.
 
ON THE GLASS
Team rebounding was a strength for the Owls a year ago. SCSU averaged 43.3 boards per game, tops in the Northeast-10 Conference.
 
LAST YEAR'S CONFERENCE LEADERS
Many Owls finished among the NE-10 leaders in the regular season statistics.
•Greg Langston placed second in scoring average (21.1).
•Tylon Smith was fifth in scoring (18.3) and fourth in both shooting percentage (55.5%) and assists (4.8).
•Michael Mallory led all freshmen (16th overall) with 15.8 points per game.
• Luke Houston finished second in steals per contest (2.3).
 
20 WINS EQAULS THE POST-SEASON
The 2013-14 season was the sixth time in program history that SCSU won 20 games in a season. The Owls have earned a spot in the postseason (NCAA five times, ECAC once) every time it hit that total.
 
THRIVING IN THE CLASSROOM
Nine of the 13 members of last year's team were named to the Northeast-10 Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll during the course of the 2013-14 academic year. Student-athletes must maintain a semester average of at least 3.0 in order to be eligible for this honor.
 
100 NOTES
For the first time since the 1974-75 season, Southern Connecticut broke the century mark in consecutive games last year. The Owls followed up a 110-point showing in a win over Stonehill on Jan. 22 with 106 points in the road victory at No. 21 Franklin Pierce on Jan. 25.
• During the middle of January, the Owls surpassed the 100 point mark in three out of four contests.
• SCSU just missed triple digits in the 99-73 victory over AIC on Feb. 25.
• The extra made free throw versus the Yellow Jackets would have tied a program record set during the 1956-57 season.
 
WINNING SEASON
With the win over Stonehill on Jan. 22, the Owls secured their third straight winning season. The program last recorded three consecutive winning seasons from 1999-2000 to 2001-2002.
 
UP NEXT
Next week, Southern continues its stretch of eight straight games against NE-10 Northeast Division opponents as they host Saint Anselm on Tuesday night, before traveling to Saint Michael's on Saturday, Jan. 17.