LOWELL, MA (Dec. 6, 2007) – Senior F Kate Lynch (Rumford, RI) scored 29 points and grabbed nine rebounds as No. 8 Southern Connecticut State defeated UMass Lowell, 75-61, Thursday night in a Northeast-10 Conference women’s basketball game at the Costello Athletic Center.

With the loss, UML slipped to 2-5 overall and 1-5 in the NE-10 entering Monday night’s non-conference clash at C.W. Post (6:00), which opens a six-game road swing. The Owls improved to 6-1 overall and 4-1 in the NE-10 and visit American International Saturday (1:30).

Junior F Antonnea Robinson (West Haven, CT) led UML with 15 points and six rebounds while converting 6 of 8 field goals. Sophomore G Rahshala Valentine (Cincinnati, OH) added 11 points and four assists while senior F Liron Asher (Givataim, Israel) chipped in 10 points, six rebounds and three assists.

Senior G Michelle Martinik (Monroe, CT) added 14 points, six rebounds and three assists for the Owls while senior F Rochelle Johnson (Norwalk, CT) chipped in 12 points (4 of 8 field goals) and freshman G Logan Lentz (Chambersburg, PA) 11 points.

The Owls converted 8 of 19 attempts from 3-point range, opposed to 2 for 11 shooting by UML, enabling for a 24-6 advantage from behind the arc. SCSU also outscored UML at the free throw line 21-15.

UML jumped out to an 18-5 lead to start the game and held SCSU without a field goal until Johnson broke the drought with a layup with 12:31 left in the half. But the Owls found their mark and outscored the River Hawks 26-6 the remainder of the half to post a 31-24 lead at the break. Lynch led the way while Martinik added seven points and Johnson six.

The River Hawks cut the lead to 37-34 early in the second half on a layup by junior C Revital Carmon (Bat-Yam, Israel), but SCSU responded with a 15-4 run – led by six points from Lynch and five from Lentz.