NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Host Southern Connecticut State University jumped out to a 35-24 halftime lead and posted a 75-62 Northeast-10 women's basketball victory over Southern New Hampshire University at Moore Fieldhouse Wednesday night.  The owls improve to 6-7 and 2-5 in NE-10 play, while the Penmen are now 5-8 and 3-5 in the league.

Jackie Bethea paced Southern Connecticut with 17 points and 10 rebounds, with five of those coming on the offensive glass.  Keshia Primo totaled 13 points, going 3-5 behind the arc, while Nicole Grossbard added 11 points for the Owls.

Southern New Hampshire was led by freshman Sara Ryan (Quincy, Mass.), as she knocked down a pair of three-pointers and finished with 11 points.  Junior Brooke Springfield (Jaffrey, N.H.) and sophomores Erin Doherty (Marshfield, Mass.) and Bianca Langford (Worcester, Mass.) each tallied 10 points, with Doherty grabbing eight rebounds.  Springfield dished out five assists.

The Penmen jumped out to a 14-7 lead 8:16 into the game after junior Chelsea Dunham (Johnson, Vt.) converted a layup.  Southern Connecticut used a 9-2 run capped by a Maria Weselyj basket to tie the game 8:26 before halftime, but after a Kelly Chergey (Bow, N.H.) basket gave SNHU the lead on its next possession, a 13-2 run gave the Owls a 29-20 lead with just over three minutes to go in the frame.  SCSU took a 35-24 lead into the locker room.

The guests outscored the Owls 12-7 over the first four minutes of the second half to cut the lead to six, 42-36, on a Springfield layup.  Southern Connecticut gradually pulled away, opening up a 56-42 lead with 11:23 left on a Primo three, and taking its largest lead, 64-47, on a Primo basket with just under six minutes left.  SNHU would cut the lead to eight twice, the last on a Langford layup with 1:02 left, but could get no closer.

Southern Connecticut shot just 33.8% for the game, but had 23 offensive rebounds, a 23-7 advantage, to finish with a 17-2 advantage in second chance points.  The Owls also held a 23-13 lead in points off turnovers with both teams committing 21 giveaways, and SCSU was 17-23 (73.9%) at the free throw line while holding a 58-39 advantage in overall rebounding.  Southern New Hampshire shot 37.7% overall, made 3-of-10 behind the arc and went 13-20 at the free throw line on the evening.

Southern New Hampshire returns home for the first time in three weeks when it hosts American International College for a 1:30 Northeast-10 contest Saturday, January 11 at the SNHU Fieldhouse.

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