PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Southern Connecticut emerged victorious over Holy Family, 64-56, in a non-conference matchup in Philadelphia, Pa. With the win, the Owls improve to 7-3 on the season and Holy Family drops to 6-6 overall. Cherif Diarra recorded his second-straight double-double of the season with 14 points and 14 rebounds to help lead the Owls to victory.
Owls grad student Ulyen Coleman (Brockton, Mass.) had a team-leading 15 points in a second-half performance as well as four rebounds while shooting 6-of-13 from the floor, and 2-of-6 from three point range. Cherif Diarra (Queens, N.Y.) fell one point shy of Coleman with 14 points, also notching a team-best 14 rebounds to earn his second straight double-double of the season, while Kazell Stewart (East Hartford, Conn.) finished with 11 points and seven rebounds to go along with one block and one steal in the win. Marty Silvera (Worcester, Mass.) finished with 10 points, two rebounds and two assists while Sean James (West Hartford, Conn.) had a team-best six assists, and shooting eight points, going 1-of-4 from three point range. Zach Penn (New Hartford, Conn.) rounded out the Owls scorers with six points going 3-of-4 from the field and taking down three rebounds.
The game began with a battle from both teams, with the Owls emerging with an untouchable lead with 12:22 minutes remaining in the first half. Cherif Diarra and Kazell Stewart emerged with eight points each to lead the Owls, with Diarra taking down eight rebounds and Stewart getting three. Sean James converted seven points, acquiring one three-pointer and two free throws in the process. At the conclusion of the first half, the Owls remained on top, 30-18.
The Owls held their lead in the second half, but not without a battle from Holy Family. With 8:54 minutes remaining, David Robinson Jr. converted a layup to bring Holy Family within four points from the Owls, 45-41. The Owls increased their lead by seven points within a minute and a half, but Holy Family bounced back to close the gap once again to 49-45 with 6:46 remaining in the game. The Owls then exploded to take a 12 point lead within the next three minutes, 60-48. The game ended with a score of 64-56, with the Owls placing on top. Standout graduate student Ulyen Coleman exploded in the second half to score 15 points after not converting any shots in the first half. Cherif Diarra's efforts in the second half led him to record a second double-double of the season where he picked up an additional six rebounds to finish with 14 and scored six points to finish with 14.
Southern returns to action on Monday, Dec. 19 when it travels to Bloomfield College for a non-conference matchup in Bloomfield, N.J. at 4:00 p.m.
