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FINISHING ON TOP
The Southern Connecticut State men's basketball team (22-5, 16-3 NE-10) will carry a nine game winning streak into their regular season finale on Tuesday evening at American International. The Owls have already clinched their second straight NE-10 Southwest Division regular season title.
 
ALL-TIME AGAINST AMERICAN INT'L
The Owls enter Tuesday's matchup with an all-time record of 24-46 against the Yellow Jackets.
 
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
• Trahmier Burrell had a double-double with 25 points and 11 rebounds and Bobby Harris had 27 points to lead AIC past the then nationally-ranked Owls 100-91 on Dec. 6 at Moore Field House. Desmond Williams had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Owls. Luke Houston had a game-high 31 points in the losing effort, while Tylon Smith added 22 points and six rebounds. The back and forth contest saw 24 lead changes and 16 ties as AIC ended the game on a 15-7 run. The 100 points given up by the Owls is tied for the most this season.
 
SCOUTING THE YELLOW JACKETS
AIC (19-6, 14-5 NE-10) has clinched the second seed in the NE-10 SWD. They enter the contest holding an 8-3 record against divisional opponents this season, with two of those losses coming to Le Moyne. AIC's loss to the Dolphins on Saturday snapped a four game winning streak. The Yellow Jackets are outscoring opponents this season by a margin of 78-72.2, and are shooting 46 percent from the field as a team. Cameron Dobbs leads the squad with 18 points per game, and a 40.9 3fg%. Bobby Harris ranks third the NE-10 with 5.2 assists per game and scores 17.1 ppg. Trahmier Burrell (6.7 rpg/11.2 ppg) and Marcus Porter (6.5 rpg/14.8 ppg) and Oscar Assie (4.6 ppg/4.9 rpg) round out the Yellow Jackets probable starters.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Five players scored in double digits, led by 19 points and seven assists from Tylon Smith, as the No. 18/25 nationally ranked Southern Connecticut State University men's basketball team defeated Saint Rose, 83-58 on Saturday afternoon. The Owls won their ninth in a row and improved to 22-5 overall and 16-3 in Northeast-10 Conference action. Southern's win coupled with American International's loss today clinched the NE-10 Southwest Division crown for the Owls for the second year in a row. Desmond Williams posted a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Michael Mallory also had 15 points. Houston and Deshawn Murphy both had 12 points. SCSU led by as many as 28 points in the second half on the way to the win. SCSU led by as many as 28 points during the second half on its way to the win.
 
BACK-TO-BACK DIVISION CROWNS
With Saturday's win over Saint Rose and AIC's loss to Le Moyne, the Owl's clinched their second straight NE-10 SWD title. The Owls will host a NE-10 Tournament game on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. against a to-be-determined opponent.
 
MAGIC NUMBER OF 20
This is the second consecutive season the Owls have reached the 20+ win plateau. It is also just the second time in program history that Southern has won 20+ games in back-to-back seasons, with the other instance coming in the NCAA Tournament years of 1981-82 and 1982-83. It is the seventh time in program history that SCSU has won 20 games in a season. The Owls have earned a spot in the postseason (NCAA five times, ECAC once) every time it previously hit that total.
 
MALLORY SURPASES 1,000 POINTS
Sophomore Michael Mallory became the 28th player in program history to net career point 1,000 in Wednesday's game at Pace. Mallory is averaging 18.4 points per game this season and set a new career-high with 35 points on Feb. 11 against East Stroudsburg. Last season, he averaged 15.8 points off the bench for the Owls.
 
MALLORY FROM DOWNTOWN!
On Feb. 21 against Saint Rose, sophomore Michael Mallory sank his 79th three pointer of the season, setting a new program single season record for made three-pointers. The previous record of 78 was set by teammate Deshawn Murphy last season. Mallory is 80-for-183 (43 percent) from beyond the arch this season, after shooting 75-for-180 (41.7 percent) from three-point range last season.
 
BATTLE FOR REGION'S TOP SPOT
SCSU is ranked No. 1 in the first official NCAA DII East Region rankings that were released last Wednesday. These rankings will ultimately determine the seeds for the NCAA Tournament. SCSU is joined by six other NE-10 institutions in the region's top 10, with the Owls holding a 4-5 record against teams ranked in the poll. This week's NCAA rankings will be released on Wednesday. The Owls are also ranked No. 1 in this week's unofficial D2SIDA East Region rankings.
 
OWLS RISING IN NATION'S TOP 25
SCSU have risen two spots to No. 23 in this week's official National Association of Basketball Coaches Top 25 poll. The Owls have risen three spots to No. 15 nationally in this week's Bennett Rankings.
 
OWLS AMONG NATION'S LEADERS
•   As of February 12, the Owls lead the nation in blocks per game with 6.5 and total blocks with 144 through 22 games.
•   SCSU ranks fifth in NCAA D-II with 89.9 points per game. No other East Region team is ranked in the nation's top 50 in scoring. The team's 12.0 scoring margin is 27th in the nation. The team's 1,961 total points are seventh most in D-II.
•  The Owls have made 230 three-point field goals this season, good for ninth best in the country. Their 598 attempted three-pointers rank them 12th. The team is shooting 38 percent from beyond the arch this season.
•  Tylon Smith is 22nd in D-II, averaging 5.7 assists.
­•  Luke Houston is 21st in D-II, shooting 45.6 percent from beyond the arch this season.
 
OWL'S AMONG CONFERENCE'S LEADERS
•  The Owls lead the NE-10 in points per game (90.6), blocks per game (6.7), steals per game (8.7), free-throw percentage (77.1), field goal pct (47.8) and are second in three-point fg% (38.1).
•  Tylon Smith enters the week fifth in the NE-10 with 19.2 ppg. He is also seventh in the conference with a 55.2 fg%.
•  Luke Houston ranks fourth in the NE-10 by shooting 44.3 percent from beyond the arch this season, as well as 88.2 percent from the free throw line. He is also tied for sixth with 1.8 steals on average per contest. He is also tied for eighth with 18.4 ppg.
•  Michael Mallory is tied with Houston for eighth place in scoring with 18.4 ppg and sixth in steals with 1.8 per game. He is also 11th in free throw percentage (82.9).
•  Entering the week, Austin Carter ranks third in the NE-10 with 1.8 blocks per game. Desmond Williams ranks eighth with 1.2 blocks per game.
 
NATIONAL BLOCK PARTY
Through February 12, the Owls were leading the nation in total blocks (144) and blocks per game (6.5). Austin Carter currently ranks third in the NE-10 with 1.6 blocks per game and Desmond Williams ranks eighth with 1.3 blocks per contest.
 
CRANKING UP THE D
On Feb. 4 versus New Haven, the Owls held the Chargers to just 46 points on 33.3 percent shooting. It was the fewest points allowed in a single game by the Owls since Feb. 19, 2008 when the team held UMass Lowell to 43 points.
 
HOUSTON NETTING BIG POINTS
Luke Houston has scored at least 25 points on six separate occasions this season, including five games with 27+ points. He set a new career-high with 32 points on 11-for-17 shooting against Dowling in the season opener. He later dropped 31 on American Int'l on Dec. 6, shooting 10-for-17 from the floor. His 17.9 ppg ranks third on the squad this season.
 
MALLORY TAKING THE NEXT STEP
The reigning NE-10 Rookie of the Year has continued to blossom in his sophomore season. Mallory ranks eighth in the conference with 18.4 points per game and is shooting 48 percent from the field and 82 percent from the free throw line. He is also averaging 4.3 rebounds per game and leads the squad with 46 steals. His 1.8 steals per game ranks him sixth in the NE-10.isH He set a new-career high with 31 points against Caldwell on Nov. 22 and was perfect 7-for-7 from beyond the arch against Saint Anselm on Jan. 13, when he shot 71.4 percent overall.
 
SHOOTING THE LIGHTS OUT
Southern had a sizzling 63.5 percent (47-for-74) shooting night on Jan. 13 against Saint Anselm, topping the Hawks 120-100. The team also shot 67.9 percent (19-for-28) from three-point range. Four Owls scored 22+ points, with Tylon Smith leading the way with a season-high 32 points.
 
SMITH EARNS NE-10 CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Senior Tylon Smith was named the NE-10 Conference's Co-Player of the Week on Jan. 12. He averaged 19.5 points per game, 7.5 rebounds per game and 3 assists per contest in the previous week's matchups against SNHU and Bentley. He shot 53.5 percent (16-for-30) on the week, including 40 percent (2-for-5) from beyond the arch. His 20-point performance at SNHU on Jan. 7 was his sixth 20+ point performance of the season. He shot 50 percent from the field on Jan. 10 against Bentley, totaling 19 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
 
SNEAKERS FOR A GOOD CAUSE
The Owls took part in a Coaches vs. Cancer event from Jan. 17-24. Both coaching staffs in the team's three games against Saint Michael's, Stonehill and Franklin Pierce donned sneakers while dressed in their familiar game attire in conjunction with the Jan. 23-25 Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Awareness Weekend. Fans were able to make donations to the American Cancer Society throughout the week.
 
PRIMETIME TELEVISION COVERAGE
On Jan. 7, the Owls held on to defeat Southern New Hampshire 75-70 in a regionally televised game on NESNplus.
 
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 DaryleBreland (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). The team later put up 120 points on Saint Anselm on Jan. 13.
 
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
The Owls will begin the postseason on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. at Moore Field House against a to-be-determined opponent.