NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The Southern Connecticut State University women's basketball team lost to Georgian Court, 85-80, at James Moore Field House in their season opener as part of the SCSU Conference Challenge. The Owls' record sits at 0-1 overall, while Georgian Court is now 1-0. 

Jessica Fressle (Levittown, N.Y.) had a team high 23 points and game-high 15 rebounds while going 11-for-12 from the free throw line. In their Southern debuts, Zoë Amalbert (Nanuet, N.Y.) had 19 points and six assists, while Patricia Conroy (Staten Island, N.Y.) had 9 points and shot 3-for-5 from three-point range. 

How It Happened
First Quarter

• Both teams started off slowly on offense, with the scored tied 9-9 with 3:10 remaining in quarter. Southern was able to take an 18-16 lead in the final minutes after Katie Williamson (Dublin, Ireland), Delaney Connors (West Hartford, Conn.) and Conroy all scored three points each.

Second Quarter

• Southern extended their lead to 23-18 after Amalbert made a three-pointer, but the Lions went on a 9-2 run to take a 27-25 advantage.
• The Owls responded with a 13-4 run, sparked on a layup by Connors and five points from Fressle to take a 38-31 lead. Amalbert and Renza Milner (Carlsbad, Calif.) contributed two points during the stretch as well, and Meagan Bianchi (Brooklyn, Conn.) capped it off with a layup with 3:34 remaining. 
• Georgian Court went on another run to close out the half to take a 44-43 lead with 30 seconds remaining, but Jillian Martin (Orange, Conn.) scored the final basket of the quarter to give Southern a 45-44 lead into the break.

Third Quarter

• Southern came out of the locker room on fire, outscoring the Lions 8-1 thanks to six points by Amalbert and two by Williamson to take their largest lead of the game, 53-45, with 7:49 remaining.
• The Lions were able to tie the game at 53 at the 6:06 mark before both teams went into a two minute scoring drought. Georgian Court was able to break through with baskets on back to-back possessions and took a 62-57 lead. 
• Alexa Kellner (Stamford, Conn.) made two consecutive threes to help Southern retake the lead, but a made three-pointer and four free throws gave the Lions a 69-65 lead heading into the final quarter. 

Fourth Quarter

• Kellner continued her hot scoring to begin the fourth quarter by making a jumper on the opening possession, but Georgian Court took their largest lead of the game by going on a 10-2 run to go up 79-69 with 5:32 remaining. 
• Georgian Court led by nine with 2:10 left, but Fressle and Amalbert went 6-for-6 from the free throw line in the next two minutes to cut the Lions' lead to three with 45 seconds left. 
• Georgian Court was able to seal the win by making both free throw attempts in their final possession to hang on for the victory.

Notes

• Fressle recorded her sixth career double-double and set a new career-high in rebounds with 15. 
• Fressle's 15 rebounds were the most by a Southern player since Kiana Steinauer had 17 on Nov. 16, 2019 against University of the District of Columbia.
• Fressle's 11 free throws made were the most by a Southern player since Steinauer also made 11 Jan. 23, 2019 against Franklin Pierce. 
• Amalbert's 19 points were the most by a player making their Southern debut since Taylor McLaughlin had 20 points against St. Thomas Aquinas on Nov. 9, 2013.

Up Next
Southern plays Bloomfield College at 3:00 p.m. at Moore Field House in the second game of the SCSU Conference Challenge.