BOX
SCORE
MANCHESTER, N.H. - Josh
Morgan-Green (Upper Marlboro, Md.) continued his strong
play with 20 points as Southern New Hampshire University shook off
Southern Connecticut State University 68-60 in a non-conference
men's basketball game Tuesday night at the SNHU Fieldhouse.
The Penmen won their third in a row to improve to 6-4 overall,
while the Owls are 1-9 on the season.
Morgan-Green, who posted his
third-straight 20-plus point performance, was 7-14 from the floor
and knocked down four three-pointers. Cory
Vejraska (Alachua, Fla.) totaled 17 points on 6-9 shooting
while grabbing six rebounds, while Greg DeSantis
(Trumbull, Conn.) had a career-best 12 points to go along with
three assists. Marcus Matthews (Valley
Stream, N.Y.) was 6-6 at the free throw line and totaled eight
points, while Tory Stapleton (Rahway, N.J.) had
six points and hauled in 10 rebounds.
Clyde Chapman led Southern
Connecticut with 19 points and 10 rebounds, totaling 17 of his
points in the first half as he shot 9-12 from the floor for the
game. Tobin Carberry knocked down four three-pointers and
also totaled 19 points and six rebounds, while John Mazzarella
added 11 points.
The win was also career win No. 490
for 25-year SNHU head coach Stan Spirou.
SNHU, which trailed by as many as
13 points in the first half, opened the second half on an 8-0 run
to take a 40-35 lead with just under 17 minutes to go on a basket
by Stapleton. The Owls used six unanswered points to take a
51-45 lead with 10:24 left following a Mazzarella basket. The
Penmen trailed 54-50 with 6:50 to go when it scored six straight
points to retake the lead, 56-54, with 4:04 left on a fast-break
layup by Vejraska.
Southern Connecticut took its final
lead with 2:02 left when Lance Long made two at the line to put the
Owls on top 60-59. Vejraska would be fouled on the rebound
action after he followed his own miss and made two with 1:42 left
to put the Penmen back in the lead. The Owls would turn it
over on their next possession and a putback by Stapleton with
a minute to go made it 63-60. The Penmen closed the game on a
9-0 run, converting 5-of-8 at the line in the final minute.
The Owls scored the game's first
five points and used an 11-0 run to build a 24-11 lead 8:30 into
the contest following a layup by Chris Harris. Southern New
Hampshire countered with a 13-4 spurt that featured eight points by
Morgan-Green, his three with 6:21 left in the first half pulling
the Penmen within four, 28-24. The Penmen would pull within
three and trail 35-32 at halftime following a basket by Vejraska
with six seconds left before intermission.
Southern Connecticut outrebounded
Southern New Hampshire 38-28, including a 23-10 edge in the first
half, but the Owls were harmed by 25 turnovers that led to 19
Penmen Points. The hosts also made 18 more trips to the free
throw line, going 18-28 at the stripe as opposed to SCSU's 5-10
effort.
Southern New Hampshire is idle
until January 2 when it hosts Franklin Pierce University in a 3:30
Northeast-10 tilt at the SNHU Fieldhouse.
