Box Score NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Despite a team-high 14-point effort from junior
Danielle Powell (Middletown, N.Y.), the Southern Connecticut State University women's basketball team was edged by Merrimack College in a Northeast-10 Conference game on Monday night, 68-64. With the loss, the Owls fall to 13-12 overall and 10-7 in Northeast-10 Conference action.
Powell led the Owls with 14 points while recording eight rebounds, two assists, a steal and a team-high four blocks.Sophomore
Maria Weselyj (Marlborugh, Md.) chipped in with 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting from field and posted a team-high four assists. Junior
Jackie Beathea (Annandale, Va.) rounded out the trio of double-digit scorers with 10 points as well as tallied nine rebounds and a block. As a team, the Owls finished the night with eight blocks, six steals and 15 assists.
Southern Conn. found themselves up early over the Warriors, 9-5, about five minuntes into the first. Merimack kept the Owls' lead to within two until a layup from Beathea pushed the Owls' lead to seven, 22-15, at the 8:22 mark. The Owls continued to lead the Warriors over the next five minutes of play, before Merrimack's Madison Ward tied the game at 26-all following a three-point play with 3:01 remaining in the first.
Following that play, Merrimack closed the half on a 5-2 run putting them ahead by three, 31-28, heading into the locker rooms. The first half saw seven blocks between Southern Conn. and Merrimack as well as three ties and two lead changes. Beathea was the lead scorer in the first with eight points and nine rebounds.
Just 18 seconds into the second half, Beathea cut the Warriors' lead to one, 31-30, after a nice dish from Weselyj. Soon after Merrimack pushed its lead to double-digits, 44-34, with 17:34 left to play on the clock. Following a jumper from Powell, the Owls battled back to within six, 53-47, but another short spurt by the Warriors pushed their lead back up to double-digits, 59-49.
Over the next five minutes of play, Merrimack took its biggest lead (11 points) of the night, 68-57, after a jumper from Caitlyn Garger. However, Southern Conn. managed to bring the score to within single-digits, but it was a little too late as the team fell to Merrimack, 68-64.
The Owls are back in action on Wednesday evening as the team challenges Pace University. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in Pleasantville, N.Y.
