Box Score RINDGE, N.H. – Led by two double-digit scorers, the third-seeded Southern Connecticut State University women's basketball team fell to the second-seeded Franklin Pierce University, 70-56, Sunday afternoon in the Northeast-10 Conference quarterfinals. The Owls fall to 14-15 overall while the Ravens improve to 18-9 overall and will advance to the NE-10 semifinals, which will be held on Thursday.
Junior
Jackie Beathea (Annandale, Va.) led the Owls in scoring with 11 points, two rebounds and two steals. Senior
Sydni Lester (Teaneck, N.J.) rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points, four rebounds, a steal and a team-high four assists.
The Owls wrapped up today's game shooting 29.1 percent from the field, 45.5 percent from long range and 76 percent from the line. Franklin Pierce went 27-for-56 (48.2 percent) from the floor, 3-for-15 (20 percent) from deep and 13-for-18 (72.2 percent) from the stripe.
Franklin Pierce opened the game hot with a 5-0 run, before back-to-back three-pointers from sophomore
Taylor McLaughlin (Colchester, Conn.) and junior
Nicole Grossbard (Pearl River, N.Y.) brought the score to 6-5, in favor of the Owls, just three minutes in. Franklin Pierce was able to regain its lead over the Owls, but two free throws from Beathea tied the game at 9-9.
Franklin Pierce continued to run its offense taking its largest lead of the half with seven, 18-11, at the 11:44 mark. Southern Conn. slowly chipped away at the Ravens' lead until layups from
Kendra Meredith (Boyds, Md.) and Lester brought the score to within two, 22-20, with 6:01 left to play in the first.
However, Franklin Pierce ended the half strong on a 13-3 run to put them ahead 35-23 heading into halftime. As a team, the Owls shot only 23.3 percent from the field, but shot 50 percent from long range. Beathea led the Owls at the half with five points and two boards.
Similar to the first half, Franklin Pierce came out strong pushing its lead to double-digits less than a minute in. Following a basket from Beathea, the Owls cut the Ravens' lead to single digits, 36-27, at the 17:41 mark. With the clock winding down, Southern Conn. brought the score again to single digits, 44-35, but it wasn't long after the hosts regained its double-digit lead.
Franklin Pierce kept its lead above 13, before two free throws from
Maria Weselyj (Marlborough, Conn.) threaten the hosts to within 10, 51-41, with less than seven minutes to play. From that point on, Southern Conn. could only play catch-up as the Ravens took home the 70-56 victory.
