NEW HAVEN, Conn. (Jan. 31, 2023) - Georgian Court finished up their nonconference schedule Tuesday night in Connecticut. Southern Connecticut took a lead midway through the first half and never looked back, on their way to a 73-65 win. 

How it Happened
• Turnovers and rebounding played a big factor in this one. SCSU entered as the Northeast 10 leaders in offensive rebounding.. They held a 44-32 overall advantage and grabbed 21 offensive boards to the Lions 11. The Owls took advantage of that with 26 second-chance points.
• Both teams turned the ball over plenty. The Lions coughed it up 18 times and the Owls 20. However SCSU turned those Lion miscues into 21 points while GCU scored just 16 off the 20 Owl turnovers.
• Shooting percentages were mostly even. The Lions connected on 41.8% overall, 33.3% from three and 65% at the free throw line. GCU was 5-9 from deep in the first half, but that fell in the second as they sunk just 1-of-9. 
• Southern Connecticut shot 41.5% overall and were 8-20 from three while making 69% at the free throw line. 
• The Owls also altered seven Lion shot attempts with GCU blocking three.
• A lot of back-and-forth action early on, with neither team able to get too far out in front. Nearly midway through the game it was all tied at 10.
• Southern Connecticut took their largest lead to that point, 26-20, but Clint Wright, Jr. got the Lions back in with a three-pointer and a layup and with 6:53 to play it was just a one-point game, 26-25.
• Things turned quickly after that however. The Owls offense, helped out by three GCU turnovers, scored 12 points in a 2:50 span to break things open, 38-27.
• With under three minutes to play in the half, Georgian Court charged back. Jalen Bates and Cameron Edmonds each found the bottom of the net from three as the Lions got to within two, 38-36.
• On the Owls final possession of the half, the Lion defense knocked the ball out of bounds, forcing SCSU to inbound with just two seconds left. That was enough time for Ulyen Coleman to hit a buzzer-beating three in the corner and send the Owls to the half with a five-point lead, 41-36.
• Georgian Court made the first basket of the half and following a double-technical foul, made it a two-point game, 47-45, with 16:03 to play.
• The Lions offense fell cold though and SCSU went on a 10-2 run to go back up by double-figures, 57-47, midway through the frame.
• GCU kept the game around 10 points for most of the half. Clint Wright, Jr. splashed a three with 2:16 left to make it a two-possession game, 69-63. But that's as close as they got with the Owls making a layup and then finishing the game at the foul line for a 73-65 win.

It Was Over When...
• Leading by six, the Owls put the game away in the final 1:37 outscoring GCU 4-2 as the Lions were 1-3 from the field. SCSU hit a field goal and were 2-3 at the line to close it out. 

Lions Stat Leaders
• Clint Wright, Jr. led the Lions scoring 19 points going 7-15 overall.
• Jamaal Waters secured another double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. He also blocked two shots.
• Jalen Bates scored eight with seven rebounds, three assists and three steals.
• Shane Williams added seven points.

For the Owls
• Ulyen Coleman finished 7-12 and 3-4 from three for a game-high 20 points.
• Kazell Stewart scored 14 off the bench going 7-9 from the floor. He also blocked three shots.
• Marty Silvera was closing in on a triple-double. He dished out 10 assists, grabbed 10 rebounds and scored seven points.
• Cherif Diarra grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds and scored eight points. 

News and Notes
• Jamaal Waters made his return to New Haven. Waters spent his freshman season at Southern Connecticut State last year.
• Waters also tallied his fourth straight double-double. 
• Shane Williams becomes the fourth Lion to reach 75 career three-pointers.
• Georgian Court's seven assists are their fewest in a game this season. 
• The Lions finished their 2023 nonconference schedule 4-6.
• This was the Lions and Owls first ever meeting. Despite that tensions were high with five technical fouls called. 

Up Next
• Georgian Court is back home this weekend. They host Dominican Saturday, Feb. 4 with a 2 p.m. tip.