BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - Southern Connecticut men's basketball won it's second-straight game to open the 2021-22 season with an 88-68 win against Goldey-Beacom in Bridgeport, Conn. The Owls improve to 2-0 on the year after a 19-point showing from Ulyen Coleman, who led four Owls in double figures.

In addition to Coleman, freshman Aaron Russell continued his hot start to his Owls career with 17 points in 29 minutes off the bench. Russell hit on 7-of-10 from the floor including 3-for-4 from three-point range while also leading the Owls with eight assists.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The two teams played close for the first 10 minutes of regulation before the Owls began to pull away. With a 22-16 lead at the 10:17 mark, the Owls outscored Goldey-Beacom 17-7 over the next five minutes to grab a 39-23 advantage with under five minutes to play as they took their largest lead of the first half at 16 points.
• Coleman and Russell paced the Owls through the first frame as Coleman knocked down 6-of-9 while Russell converted on 4-of-6 from the floor in the run.
• Coming out of halftime, Lyron Bennett (Boston, Mass.) knocked down a three-pointer and by a pair of free throws, and a made lay-up by Isaiah Boissard (Walden, N.Y.) gave the Owls a 22-point lead, 55-33, on the Owls first three possessions after the break. Bennett and C.J. Seaforth (Hamden, Conn.) led the Owls offense in the second half, bringing Southern's lead to as much as 29 points down the stretch.
• Seaforth knocked-down both three-point attempts in the second half, while Bennett also nailed a pair of three-pointers. Russell chipped in with seven points in the second half, while Zack Penn (New Hartford, Conn.) controlled the glass with 11 rebounds.

NOTES

• Through the Owls' first two games of the year, Coleman (17), Bennett (16), Russell (15.5) and Seaforth (15) are all averaging over 15 points per game, and all with double-digit totals through the team's opening weekend.
• Coleman's 19-point game in Bridgeport follows Bennet's 22-point season opener.
• Penn also posted his second-straight double-digit rebound effort in his first two games of the year, finishing with 13 boards against Goldey-Beacom after grabbing 10 against Post.
• Russell has hit on 9-of-13 from the floor through his first two games, including 3-of-5 shooting from three-point range. The 6-3 guard from Bowie, Md. is also 10-for-12 from the free-throw line to start the year. His eight assists against Goldey-Beacom also stand as the most for the Owls through two games.
• Russell became the first Southern freshman to score at least 30 points through his first two career games since Isaiah McLeod during the 2015-2016 season, and his 31 points are the most by a Southern player through their first two career games since Tobin Carberry scored 43. 
• The Owls open the season at 2-0 for the first since 2015-16.
• Southern has forced at least 20 turnovers in back-to-back games for the first time since also beginning the 2015-2016 season with two consecutive 20 forced turnover games against Dominican (21) and Bridgeport (20). 

UP NEXT
Southern is back in action on Saturday, Nov. 20 when they travel to Philadelphia, Pa. to take on Jefferson.