SPRINGFIELD, Mass.- Southern Connecticut women's basketball was defeated by American International College, 53-42, in a Northeast 10 Conference game in Springfield, Mass. The loss drops the Owls to 16-9 overall and 11-8 in NE10 Conference play while the Yellow Jackets rise to 15-12 overall and 11-8 in the conference.
Zoe Amalbert (Nanuet, N.Y.) led the Owls with 14 points and four rebounds in the loss. Katie Williamson (Dublin, Ireland) notched 10 points and had seven rebounds while both Isabella Santoro (Durham, Conn.) and Ashley Evans (Londonderry, N.H.) converted on eight points apiece. Evans led the team in rebounds with eight.
The Owls began the game with a slow start, scoring just one point in the first eight minutes while AIC notched 10 points. The tide began to turn with two minutes remaining in the first quarter. Layups from Amalbert and Santoro closed the gap to a 12-5 AIC lead by the end of the period.
Southern went on a scoring spree to overcome AIC during the second quarter, scoring 13 points in the first five minutes to take a 16-12 lead. The Owls defensive efforts limited AIC to converting only seven points occurring within the final five minutes. Southern held the lead at half time, 20-19, as AIC edged back. Isabella Santoro led the way for the Owls with seven points and three rebounds followed by Ashley Evans with five points and rebounds.
AIC tied up the score in the first two minutes of the second half, 22-22, before taking a two point lead off two good free throws. Ashley Evans responded with a good layup to tie the score once again, 24-24, with six minutes remaining. AIC went on a 13 point run before Zoe Amalbert broke the streak off a good jumper with just over two minutes left, 37-26. AIC pulled away further despite Southern Connecticut's efforts to finish the period at 40-31.
The Yellow Jackets' lead was proven too large for the Owls to overcome in the final period of the game. AIC took their largest lead of 15 points with four and a half minutes left in the game, 47-32. The Owls continued to fight back to come to a seven point deficit with less than a minute remaining, 49-42. AIC proceeded to convert four free throws and finish the game 53-42.
The Owls are back in action when it hosts to Assumption University in an NE10 Conference matchup on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 5:30 p.m. in New Haven, Conn. at James Moore Fieldhouse.
