Box Score QUARTER SCORES:
1: 11-10 (SCSU)
2: 30-22 (STAC)
3: 48-35 (STAC)
FINAL SCORE: St. Thomas Aquinas 57 | So. Conn. St. 42

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Despite a 14-point effort from senior forward Danielle Powell (Middletown, N.Y.), the Southern Connecticut State University women's basketball team saw its four-game winning streak come to a close in a 57-42 defeat to Saint Thomas Aquinas College on Sunday afternoon at Moore Field House.

Following the loss, the Owls fall to 8-4 on the season while the Spartans improve to 8-3 overall.



Powell led the Owls this afternoon with 14 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the floor and 0-2 from behind the arc. She also chipped in with four rebounds, two blocks and an assist over 38 minutes of play. Sophomore Chandler Williams (Chepachet, R.I.) finished the day with a total of eight points while senior Jackie Beathea (Annandale, Va.) tallied six points, nine rebounds, three blocks and a steal.

It was a slow start for both teams as Southern Connecticut and Saint Thomas Aquinas scored only two points during the first five minutes of play. Following two ties, the Spartans found themselves a head by two, 8-6, after a jumper from Samantha Burden with 2:50 left in the first. However, the Owls managed to take an 11-10 lead heading into the next quarter thanks to a made layup from Powell.

Senior Nicole Grossbard (Pearl River, N.Y.) opened the second quarter for the Owls with a jumper in the paint to put the hosts up 13-12, but a 7-0 run brought the score to 19-13, in favor of the visitors, with 7:04 remaining. Over the next four of minutes of play, Southern Connecticut battled back to within one, 23-22, before the Spartans closed out the half with a 7-0 run to take a 30-22 lead over the hosts.

Over the first five minutes of the third quarter, Southern Connecticut found themselves trailing the visitors by 11, 37-67, before the Owls saw the Spartans' lead go up to 14, 42-28, with 2:49 remaining in the frame. The Owls chipped away at the double-digit lead, but trailed 48-35 heading into the final quarter.

In the final quarter, Southern Connecticut could only play catch-up as the Spartans kept their lead to above 15 for the majority of the frame. At the 2:43 mark, Liz McKinley (Thompson, Conn.) brought the Owls to within 13, 55-42, but the hosts fall 57-42 to the Spartans.

The Owls are back in action on Dec. 30 as the team hosts Georgian Court. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m.