D2CSC Week 6 National and Regional Rankings

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Southern Connecticut women's basketball is receiving votes in the D2CSC Division II Women's Basketball National Poll and is ranked third in the East Region Top 10 for Week Six, as announced on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. The Owls received six votes in the National Poll Top 25 and this is the sixth straight week that Southern has been ranked in the East Region Top 10. 

The Owls picked up a victory against Caldwell, 65-58 in New Jersey on Saturday. Three Owls finished the game in double figures. Katie Williamson led the Owls with 20 points and a team-best of 12 rebounds. This was the 10^th double-double of her career and her first of the season. In addition, Williamson shot 50% from the floor, made two free-throws and added two assists. Delaney Haines had 14 points, with a team-best of four three-pointers, had two steals and an assist. Hope Fox recorded 13 points, as she was 6-for-10 from the field, grabbed eight boards, dished out four assists and had four steals. Jillian Martin had nine points, made a career-best of 9 made free-throws and had a team-best of four assists. Ally Sentance totaled five points, had two rebounds and two assists. Rheyna Steinauer recorded four points, grabbed three boards, had three steals and was 2-for-2 from the free-throw line against the Cougars.

Southern was leading for most of the game until the fourth quarter when Caldwell came back and took the lead with less than a minute left. The Owls needed a response and Hope Fox answered with a made layup, by an assist by Jillian Martin, to put them in the lead. Jillian Martin was huge in the final minute as she went to the free-throw line, three times, and made all six free-throws to give Southern, a 65-58 advantage. With seconds left, the Owls played great team defense to close out the game and got their eighth victory of the season.

Jillian Martin leads all of Division II and NE10 in free-throw percentage with 97.14% efficiency, making 34 out of 35 free-throws. In the NE10, Southern Connecticut is ranked first in offense, scoring margin,  free-throw percentage and steals. Delaney Haines leads the NE10 in scoring, as she averages 18.5 points per game and Katie Williamson follows closely behind with 18.4 points per game. Williamson also ranks third in the conference in free-throw percentage with 86% from the free-throw line. Haines ranks second in the conference in three-point field-goal percentage and three-point field goals per game with 34 total three-pointers. 

The Owls comes back to the Moore Field House for the start of a four-game homestand to end the year and to the start the new year. It all begins on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 5:30 pm against Dominican University of New York in a non-conference matchup. On Sunday, Dec. 22, the Owls will face their last opponent of the 2024 calendar year at 1:30 p.m. against Molloy University in non-conference action. To open 2025, Southern will play Pace University on Thursday, Jan. 2 at 5:30 p.m. in an NE10 matchup then on Sunday, Jan. 5, the Owls will face Assumption University at 1:30 p.m. in NE10 action in the Moore Field House. 

D2CSC Rankings Week-by-Week:
Week 1: 4^th in East Region and Receiving Votes in National Poll
Week 2: 4^th in East Region and Receiving Votes in National Poll
Week 3: 3^rd in East Region and 22^nd in National Poll (first time in National Poll since 2011-12)
Week 4: 2^nd in East Region and 17^th in National Poll (highest National Poll ranking since 2007-08)
Week 5: 4th in East Region
Week 6: 3rd in East Region and Receiving Votes in National Poll