When and Where: January 24, 2023 – Manchester, N.H. (Stan Spirou Field House)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 65, Southern Connecticut State University 64
Records: SNHU 11-7 (8-4 NE10), SCSU 13-7 (8-4 NE10)
Sophomore
Ethan Okwuosa (No. Haven, Conn.) matched his career high with 20 points, as the Southern New Hampshire University men's basketball team rallied past Southern Connecticut State University for a 65-64 victory Tuesday night at the Stan Spirou Field House.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Okwuosa– career-high-matching 20 points (8-16 FG, 3-6 3-FG, 1-2 FT), 6 rebound
- Junior Matt Becht (Vienna, Va.) – 17 points (7-13 FG, 3-7 3-FG), 6 rebounds, 2 assists
- Sophomore Derrick Grant (Plainfield, N.J.) – 9 points (4-5 FG, 1-3 FT), 4 rebounds, 3 blocks
KEY MOMENTS
- Southern New Hampshire led, 6-4, four-and-a-half minutes in when an 11-2 burst put Southern Connecticut in front, 15-8, with 11:48 remaining in the opening half. The margin was eight with six-and-a-half minutes to play when seven straight, including the final five from Okwuosa, trimmed the SNHU deficit to 24-23 with 4:21 on the clock. The Owls countered with eight-in-a-row to grab their largest lead of the contest at 32-23 with 2:40 to go. SCSU would take a 36-29 advantage into the locker room.
- SNHU used an 11-3 run – with the final six points coming from Okwuosa – to jump into the lead at 44-43 with 12:51 remaining. The score was tied less than three minutes later when an Okwuosa bucket sparked a 5-0 spurt that gave the Penmen their largest lead of the night at 54-49 with 8:45 to go.
- The Owls hit back with a 13-4 counter-punch to go up 62-58 with 5:02 to play, but four points from Becht carried a 6-0 run that gave SNHU the lead at 64-62 with 2:05 remaining. Southern Connecticut would tie the game with 1:40 on the clock, but, after Okwuosa gave the Penmen the lead with a free throw at 1:10, would miss twice with a chance to take the lead down the stretch.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Sophomore Evan Guillory (Springfield, Mo.) posted eight points (4-11 FG) and five boards.
- Graduate student Ryan Layman (Wrentham, Mass.) notched four points (2-5 FG), four rebounds and two assists.
- Junior Noah Kamba (Lynn, Mass.) also netted four points (1-1 FG, 2-2 FT).
- Sophomore Jordan Brathwaite (Silver Spring, Md.) chipped in three points (1-5 FG, 1-2 FT), four rebounds and a block.
- SNHU outshot SCSU, 48.2 percent (27-56) to 43.3 percent (26-60), including 35.3 percent (6-17) to 33.3 percent (6-18) from beyond the arc.
- Southern Connecticut narrowly shot it better from the line, 60 percent (6-10) to 55.6 percent (5-9).
- The Penmen won the glass (35-30) and scored more second chance points (17-8), while the Owls narrowly captured the paint (28-26), scored more points off turnovers (15-5) and on the fast break (15-0), and submitted a better assist-to-turnover ratio (14/7-8/11).
NOTES
- Southern New Hampshire has won eight of its last 12 and seven of its last eight.
- SNHU leads the all-time series with SCSU, 56-25, and has won four of the last five. The Penmen have won four-in-a-row at home, with the Owls last winning at the Field House on Jan. 7, 2015 (75-70).
- Okwuosa is averaging 14.2 points per game during his five-game, double-digit scoring streak.
- Becht has scored in double figures in 16 of 18 games and has reached nine points in every contest this season. During his four-game run of 10-plus points, he is scoring 16.5 ppg.
WHAT'S NEXT
- The Penmen are back in action Saturday, Jan. 28 (3:30 p.m.) when they play host to Pace University at the Stan Spirou Field House.
