Franklin Pierce FPU 3-26,2-18 NE10

Southern Conn. St. SCSU 17-10,12-8 NE10

Franklin Pierce FPU

3-26,2-18 NE10

Final

Feb. 28, 2025

Southern Conn. St. SCSU

17-10,12-8 NE10

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Franklin Pierce FPU	31	45	76
Southern Conn. St. SCSU	35	50	85

Summary
Box Score

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 2/28/2025 9:11:00 PM

SCSU Men's Basketball Tops Franklin Pierce, 85-76, To Advance To NE10 Quarterfinals

NEW HAVEN, Conn. –Southern Connecticut State University men's basketball defeated 11^th seeded Franklin Pierce, 85-76, to advance to the NE10 Quarterfinals and improve to 17-10 overall on the season. The Owls move on to the Quarters for the third-straight year and will travel to No. 3-seeded Bentley on Sunday, March 2.

Albert Vargas had a game-high 32 points, including 28 in the second half, as well as eight assists and seven rebounds with a pair of steals. Antonio Chandler had his third consecutive double-double with 24 points and 15 rebounds as well as three blocks. Christian McClease had 11 points while Cherif Diarra finished with nine points, six rebounds and five assists. The Owls will advance to the Quarterfinals for the third straight year.

Vargas was lights-out in the second half as he hit 9-of-11 from the floor including 4-of-6 from three-point range while also going 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Chandler was 10-for-12 from the floor the game while eight of his 15 rebounds came on the offensive end.

Southern Connecticut opened the game with a 17-6 run with Cherif Diarra leading the way with seven points, while Christian McClease had six. Franklin Pierce chipped away, eventually outscoring the Owls, 20-10, over an eight-minute stretch to pull within a point, 27-26, with four minutes to go in the half. Southern outscored Franklin Pierce, 8-5, in the closing minutes of the half to give Southern a 35-31 lead at the break.

Southern came out firing on all cylinders in the second half as they converted on five of its first six shots from the floor as they outscored Franklin Pierce, 12-9, to take a 47-40 lead with 15 to play. Franklin Pierce answered with a 9-2 run to tie the game at 49-49 just two minutes later.

As the game went back-and-forth, Franklin Pierce refused to go away as they pulled with a point, 59-58, with eight minutes to play. Vargas and Chandler continued to do the damage for the Owls, both scoring five points each in the 10-10 stretch. With Diarra on the bench in foul trouble, Chandler had a double-double with eight to play. After Franklin Pierce took a 62-61 lead, Vargas converted on a pair of free throws before knocking down a three-pointer to give Southern a 66-62 lead with 6:14 to go.

Franklin Pierce's Demariontay Hall then scored five-straight points to give the Ravens a 67-66 lead with 5:15 to play. Coming out of a timeout, Chandler made a save on a ball going out of bounds to Vargas who found McClease at the top of the key for a wide-open three-point, but Franklin Pierce responded on the other end of the floor.

Down the stretch, Vargas scored 11 points in the closing minutes to lead the Owls on a 19-9 run to close the game and give the Owls the nine-point win.

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