Box Score

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. - The Southern Connecticut State University men's basketball team closed out the regular season with a come-from-behind win over Pace on the road, 74-69, on Tuesday evening. Desmond Williams (Torrington, Conn.) recorded his sixteenth double-double of the year with 30 points and 11 rebounds. Michael Mallory (Waterbury, Conn.) put up 15 points and five assists, while Jack McCarthy (Wallingford, Conn.) added 10 points. Joey Wallace (Rochester, N.Y.) set a new career high in assists with eight.

With the win, the Owls finish the season at 22-6 overall and 17-3 in the NE-10, while Pace falls to 9-19 and 6-14. Southern Connecticut had clinched the No. 1 overall seed in the NE-10 Conference Tournament with its previous win over Le Moyne.

The score was tied at 66 with 3:09 remaining when Williams hit a layup to put the Owls up two. Pace's Shelton Mickell got to the free throw line but made one of two, giving Southern an opening it would hold for the rest of the game.

Williams hit two free throws on the other end to put SCSU back up three but Luke McLaughlin converted a layup to get Pace to within one with 54 seconds left.

Williams was fouled again on the next possession. He made the first free throw and missed the second, but Austin Carter (Bloomfield, Conn.) was there for the offensive rebound. He got the ball to Mallory who was fouled with 16 seconds left, but he only made one of two, as well.

Mickell grabbed the defensive board, got to the other end of the floor and missed the game-tying three with eight seconds left, leading to a Williams dunk on the other end to close it out.

Williams began his late run at the 5:06 mark of the second half with the score tied at 63. He made the first of two free throws and converted a layup after he missed the second. Mickell hit a three to tie it once more, but Williams made a layup to put the Owls up two. Mickell missed one of two free throws on the other end.

Mallory got hot midway through the second half. In a seven minute stretch, he accounted for 14 of Southern Connecticut's 16 points as the Owls closed a 10 point deficit down to four. A layup by Carter tied the game at 61, the first tie since the score was knotted at 37 early in the second half. Carter finished with nine points, nine rebounds and four blocks, nearly tallying his second double-double in three games and third in his career.

Southern Connecticut lead the majority of the first half and entered halftime up three, 37-34. Williams led all players with 18 points at the half. The Owls recorded 20 offensive rebounds in the game compared to 14 for Pace. SCSU got 21 second chance points and 46 points in the paint.

The Owls will begin their Northeast-10 Tournament play in the quarterfinals. They will host the winner of American International and Southern New Hampshire at Moore Field House on Sunday.