Southern Conn. St. SCSU 11-15,7-11 NE10

Franklin Pierce FPU 7-21,3-15 NE10

Southern Conn. St. SCSU

11-15,7-11 NE10

Final

Feb. 25, 2026

Franklin Pierce FPU

7-21,3-15 NE10

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Southern Conn. St. SCSU	45	31	76
Franklin Pierce FPU	43	35	78

Summary
Box Score

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 2/25/2026 9:49:00 PM

SCSU Men's Basketball Drops Regular Season Finale to Franklin Pierce, 78-76

RINDGE, N.H. - Southern Connecticut men's basketball dropped their final game of the regular season, losing 78-76 against Franklin Pierce. The Owls finish the season 11-15.

With the loss and a Southern New Hampshire win, the Owls were eliminated from playoff contention, ending a streak of 14 consecutive appearances.

Justice Ellison led the way with 16 points, adding four rebounds, three steals and a block. Cherif Diarra double-doubled with 15 points and 14 rebounds, blocking two shots. Simon Percy added 13 points off the bench, and the sophomore duo of Makai Coleman and Christian McClease each scored nine. Kazell Stewart recorded a team-high three blocks and grabbed eight boards.

It was a back-and-forth affair the whole way, with neither team leading by double digits and 13 ties during the game. The Owls jumped out to some small leads early thanks to baskets from Ellison, Diarra, and McClease, but Franklin Pierce kept pace. Simon Percy provided energy off the bench, scoring five points in a 7-0 Owl run. Southern's struggles with turnovers helped keep the Ravens in the game, as the Owls would end the game with 18 as opposed to Franklin Pierce's nine. With just over ten minutes to go in the half, the two teams were tied at 22. The Owls would go on a run, eventually extending their lead to nine with under six minutes left thanks to baskets from McClease and Randy Crosby. However, the Ravens would bounce back again to cut the lead to two heading into the break.

The Owls would jump back ahead by seven within the first four minutes of the half, with Ellison and Malik Banks getting involved. Franklin Pierce would work their way back into it, going on a 6-0 run to cut the lead to one. Southern would maintain a small advantage for the next few minutes, but the Ravens would hang around, never letting it grow larger than a two-posession lead. With 10:44 to go, the two teams were tied at 63. From there, it was Franklin Pierce who would hold a small lead, but the Owls jumped back in front by two with just over six minutes to go. The lead would be exchanged several times in the final few minutes, and with 33 seconds to go, the two teams were tied at 76. A foul would send the Ravens to the line with under ten second left, where they would knock down both free throws. Justice Ellison got a good look to tie on the final posession, but couldn't convert.

The Owls finish the season with an 11-15 record, going 7-11 in conference play.

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