NEW HAVEN, Conn. (January 21, 2017) – Southern Connecticut State University's hot shooting was too much to overcome for the Franklin Pierce University women's basketball team as they dropped a 81-49 contest to their Northeast-10 Conference opponent on Saturday afternoon at the Moore Fieldhouse in New Haven, Conn.

With the win, the Owls improve to 8-11 overall and 4-8 in league play, the loss was the Crimson and Grey's 15th of the year and 12th in the NE10.

Junior guard Jemma Thacker (Nairne, South Australia) recorded her first collegiate double-double by matching a personal-best with 22 points and setting a new career-high with 12 rebounds. Her 12 rebound performance marks the fifth straight game in which she's grabbed eight or more boards and the third consecutive contest in which she's scored in double-figures. Thacker also handed out two assists, came up with two thefts and blocked two shots in the loss.

Mikayla Deguire (Watervilet, N.Y.) was the only other Raven to score in double figures as she tallied 10 points and grabbed three rebounds. Freshman Cameryn Wilson (Newport News, Va.) scored six points off the bench with three assists and two rebounds. Sarah Middleton (Barrington, R.I.) snagged a personal-high eight rebounds in the loss.

For the Owls, Taylor McLaughlin matched Thacker's scoring output with 22 points, she also came up with eight steals, handed out four assists and came down with four rebounds.

Southern Connecticut scored their first points of the contest as McLaughlin buried a mid-range jumper. Franklin Pierce took their only lead of the game two minutes later when Kelsey Mayo (Oakland, Maine) dished the rock to Dana Campbell (Merrick, N.Y.) and the senior shooter drained a long range attempt to put the Ravens up 3-2.

The lead was short lived as McLaughlin matched Campbell's trey with one of her own to push her team back in front. The point swapping continued when Deguire hit a jumper from the high post. On the next Owls possession, Maria Weselyj connected on a long range attempt to push the hosts lead to three, 8-5. Mayo brought the Ravens within one as she banked in a layup off a Middleton feed while getting fouled to make it 8-7 with 6:11 to go in the first. Mayo knocked down the free throw to complete the three point play.

A 17-3 scoring binge by SCSU grew their advantage to 25-11 thanks to an onslaught of three-balls by McLaughlin, Chandler Williams, Abby Hurlbert and Williams again. With time winding down, Deguire passed the ball to a waiting Wilson in the right corner and the freshman connected from deep as the buzzer sounded to end the quarter. The Ravens trailed 25-14 after one.

12 straight markers by the hosts pushed their lead to 37-16 until Thacker ended the run with a second chance layup which brought the deficit to 19, 37-18. Trailing 49-22, Middleton poured in a jumper from Thacker at the buzzer as FPU headed into the half trailing 49-24.

In the third the Owls continued their hot shooting as they continued to add points to their lead and eventually won the contest, 81-49.

The Ravens head back home to the friendly confines of The Fieldhouse on Tuesday when they host conference opponent Pace at 5:30 p.m.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce women's basketball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).