Box Score

FINAL SCORE: So. Conn. 70 | Saint Thomas Aquinas 68
TEAM RECORDS: So. Conn. St. (2-4, 0-2) | Saint Thomas Aquinas (5-1)
 
SPARKILL, N.Y. – The Southern Connecticut State University women's basketball team defeated Saint Thomas Aquinas by a score of 70-68 on Sunday evening in a non-conference showdown at Aquinas Hall Gym. Following today's win, the Owls snapped the Spartans five-game winning streak.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Southern Connecticut took control in the first quarter taking an eight-point lead, 16-8, following a three from Abby Hurlbert (Thomaston, Conn.) at the 3:25 mark. However, the Spartans would close out the quarter tying the Owls, 16-16, after an 8-0 run.
 
With the scored tied at 21-21, Southern Connecticut rattled off a 14-2 run to take its largest lead of the half, 35-23, but Saint Thomas Aquinas would battle back to within five, 35-30, heading into the locker room.
 
Saint Thomas Aquinas continued to chip away at the Owls' lead until a made free throw from Jenna Erikson gave Saint Thomas Aquinas its second lead of the game, 43-42. Southern Connecticut battled back and maintained the lead for the remaining five minutes and would lead by one, 54-53, at the end of the third.
 
Following four lead changes, Southern Connecticut found themselves up by three, 69-66, following a deep three from Murphy Murad (Storrs, Conn.) with less than a minute to go in regulation. The Owls remained in control and sealed the 70-68 win over the Spatarns, despite the hosts cutting the score to within two with 13 seconds left.
 
FIRST HALF BREAKDOWN

• Hurlbert scored 15 of the Owls' 35 points in the first half while shooting 6-of-9 from the field.
• Saint Thomas Aquinas' bench outscored Southern Connecticut 16-3.
• Both team totaled nine turnovers.

 
SECOND HALF BREAKDOWN

• Murad led the Owls in the second half scoring 11 of her 17 points.
• The Spartans out-rebounded the Owls 24-20 as well as out-scored the Owls 38-35.

 
FINAL STATS

• Hurlbert led the Owls with 18 points, seven rebounds. Three assists and a steal.
• Murad finished the game with 17 points, a steal, three assists and two rebounds.
• Senior Maria Weselyj (Marlborough, Conn.) rounded out the trio of double-digit scorers with 14 points , four rebounds and an assists.

 
UP NEXT
Southern Connecticut returns to action on November 30th against cross town rival New Haven.