Box Score QUARTER SCORES:1: 17-13 (SCS)
2: 39-27 (SCS)
3: 50-44 (SCS)
FINAL SCORE: So. Conn. 69 | Caldwell 65
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Led by three double-double performances from junior
Taylor McLaughlin (Colchester, Conn.), senior
Jackie Beathea (Annandale, Va.) and senior
Danielle Powell (Middletown, N.Y.), the Southern Connecticut State University women's basketball team defeated non-conference foe Caldwell University by the score of 69-65 on Thursday evening at Moore Field House.
Following the win, the Owls extend their winning to four games and improve to 8-3 on the season while the Cougars fall to 6-5 overall.
McLaughlin led the Owls in scoring as well as recorded her first double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds and added three blocks, two assists and a steal. Beathea recorded her sixth double-double of the season with 14 points and 17 rebounds while Powell recorded her second double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Powell also registered a team-high three blocks and two assists for the Owls.
Caldwell began the first quarter with an 8-4 run, before a deep three from McLaughlin gave the Owls their first lead of the game, 9-8, at the 3:53 mark. Following two ties, Southern Connecticut closed the quarter with a 7-3 run to take a 17-13 lead heading into the second quarter.
Southern Connecticut kept its momentum going into the second as the Owls pushed their lead to five, 21-16, following a layup from
Erin Ryder (Congers, N.Y.). Caldwell tied the game at two different occasions before the Owls extended their lead to double-digits, 33-23, with 2:33 remaining in the quarter. From the remaining two minutes, Southern Connecticut kept its lead to above 10 and led by 12, 39-27, heading into halftime.
Just twenty seconds into the third,
Maria Weselyj (Marlborough, Conn.) found Beathea for her 12th point of the game, but the Owls were unable to score again until the 3:10 mark. During that time, Caldwell went on a 14-0 to tie the game at 41-all. Sophomore
Paige Decker (Pleasant Valley, N.Y.) broke the silence with a deep jumper and helped the Owls push their lead back up to six, 50-44, to close out the third.
The final quarter saw Southern Connecticut extend its lead back up to 11, 55-44, after a layup from McLaughlin with 6:45 remaining, but the Cougars battled back to within two, 61-59, with 1:49 to go. Caldwell continued to chip away at the Owls' lead, 65-63, but the hosts kept their composure and secured the four-point victory, 69-65.
The Owls are back in action on Sunday, Dec. 20 as the team hosts St. Thomas Aquinas. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. at Moore Field House.
