NEW HAVEN, Conn. (January 24, 2015) – Senior Ryen Vilmont (Philadelphia, Pa.) recorded yet another 20 point game this season and came one rebound shy of a double-double, but it wasn't enough to put the Franklin Pierce University Ravens into the win column, as they lost to the Southern Connecticut University Owls by a final score of 84-75 at the Moore Field House.

With the win, Southern Connecticut keeps themselves toward the top of the Southwest Division in the Northeast-10 Conference with a record of 14-5 (9-3 Northeast-10) while the Ravens drop to 11-7 (6-5 Northeast-10).

The Ravens had a tough night from the floor, as they only managed to shoot 38 percent. From behind the arc, Franklin Pierce would only manage a 28.6 percent clip. This all came in comparison to the Owls, as they shot just over 45 percent from the floor.

Despite the tough shooting numbers, Franklin Pierce came out of the gate strong, taking and holding a lead for the first eight minutes of the first half. Vilmont drained a three-pointer after Luke Houston started the game off hitting a jumper for Southern Connecticut. From that point until the 12:13 mark, Franklin Pierce held down the Owls until a layup by Desmond Williams put Southern Connecticut up by one point. The Owls would not look back from there, holding a lead for the remainder of the game.

However, the game would stay consistent throughout, as Franklin Pierce never dropped below a deficit of 10 points throughout the entire game.

The Ravens would be led by Vilmont's 20 points, followed by four other Ravens in double-figures. Senior Paul Becklens (Boston, Mass.) would drop 17 points for a strong offensive outing, while sophomore Donte Gittens (Hartford, Conn.) put in 15 points. Senior Aboubacar Casse (Dakar, Senegal) tickeled the twine for a season-high 11 points, while junior Tyler Iacuone (Mahopac, N.Y.) chipped in with 10.

Franklin Pierce also saw plenty of action on the boards as well, as Vilmont, Gittens, Iacuone, Casse, and Becklens each snatched at least five rebounds. Vilmont finished with nine, Gittens with eight, Iacuone with seven, Casse with six, and Becklens with five. Gittens also provided some all-around team play, leading the Ravens with four assists as well.

The Owls were paced by the play of Tylon Smith, who finished with 15 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. Southern Connecticut would also receive a solid game from Houston, who finished with eight points, but lead the team in assists with seven, and also grabbed seven rebounds. Michael Mallory came out as the sharpshooter for the Owls, notching a team-best 17 points on 7-16 shooting, along with Stefon Williams who also showed a strong offensive prowess with 14 points on 6-7 shooting.

The Ravens return to the court on Tuesday, January 27 as they travel to Long Island to take on Adelphi at 7:30 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 basketball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).