NEW HAVEN, Conn. (January 19, 2022) – For the first time in 2022, the Franklin Pierce University men's basketball team was in action on Tuesday night, with a Northeast-10 Conference matchup on the road against the Southern Connecticut State Owls. Three Ravens recorded double-digit point totals, including a game-high 19 from junior Maxwell Zegarowski (South Hamilton, Mass.) in a tight, 76-73 loss at the James Moore Field House.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 7-4 (4-2 NE10) while SCSU improves to 4-7 (2-4 NE10).

Franklin Pierce trailed by six at the break, after surrendering 42 first-half points (42-36). The Ravens fell behind by as many as 11 early in the second (47-36) before setting off on the comeback trail. Franklin Pierce was able to rally for a brief, two-point lead near the midpoint of the half, and the game was tied at 56-56 with 10 minutes to play. However, the Owls used a 9-3 spurt to regain control, and the Ravens' second comeback attempt of the night would come up just short in the end.

Zegarowski impressed on the offensive end of the court for the Ravens with a 7-for-13 shooting effort, which included a trio of makes (3-for-7) from beyond the arc. The junior forward was followed by freshman Mohamed Traore (Hyde Park, Mass.) and sophomore Matt Hofrenning (Minneapolis, Minn.) on the stat sheet with 15 and 13 points, respectively. Defensively, Franklin Pierce was anchored by junior guard Brandon Kolek (Cumberland, R.I.), who recorded 11 rebounds to go with two steals and a block in 34 minutes of action.

On the other hand, SCSU was buoyed by a balanced team effort on the offensive side of the ball. Four Owls recorded double-digit point figures, led by freshman guard Sean James' 17. Junior center Zack Penn helped out on the boards with 12 rebounds, while also scoring 10 points to complete a double-double.

The Ravens led the game in shooting percentage by hitting at a 41.7% rate (25-for-60), which included 32.1% (9-for-28) from beyond the three-point line. The Owls finished at 39.7% (29-for-73) from the field and just 27.6% (8-for-29) from long distance, but were able to pull out the win by sheer volume of shooting. SCSU capitalized on 17 offensive rebounds and 11 Franklin Pierce turnovers to attempt 13 more field goals than the Ravens. The Owls held a pivotal, 18-11 edge in second-chance points on the night and took exceptional care of the basketball, as they committed only six turnovers of their own.

The Ravens will be back in action on Saturday, Jan. 22, on the road in Garden City, N.Y., for a matchup against NE10 opponent Adelphi University. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.