NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Sophomore Margaret Montplaisir (Portsmouth, N.H./Portsmouth) came off the bench to scored 29 points on 7-of-8 three-point shooting on Tuesday, lifting the Saint Michael's College women's basketball team past Southern Connecticut State University, 86-68, in Moore Fieldhouse. The Northeast 10 Conference counterparts met for a non-league matinee.
 
RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (3-1), Southern Connecticut State (3-2)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Montplaisir, 29 points (career high) in 21 minutes as reserve, 8-for-9 field goals, 7-for-8 three-pointers, 6-for-8 free throws
• Senior Molly Brophy (Greenwich, N.Y./Greenwich Central School), 15 points, 6 rebounds, 6-for-10 field goals, 2-for-3 three-pointers
• Junior Amber Furch (Los Angeles, Calif./Brentwood School), 12 points, 3 steals, 4-for-6 field goals, 3-for-3 free throws
• Junior Ruby Santos (New Paltz, N.Y./Kent School), 10 points, 7 rebounds (3 offensive), 2 steals, 6-for-8 free throws
• Junior Ashlee Talbot (Dracut, Mass./Dracut), 7 points, 3 assists
• Sophomore Kelli Cieplicki (Colchester, Vt./Rice Memorial), 6 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists
• Senior Ava MacDonough (South Burlington, Vt./Rice Memorial), 3 assists

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Senior Rheyna Steinauer, 19 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, 8-for-16 field goals
• Sophomore Taeya Steinauer, 15 points, 5 assists, 4 steals
• Senior Hope Fox, 12 points, 4 assists, 3 steals, 4-for-8 field goals
• First-year Tisharona Blackwood, 10 points, 7 rebounds

GAME FACTS

• Montplaisir came within seven points of Purple Knight legend Kathy O'Neil's '81 single-game scoring record, set on Dec. 6, 1980, and neared Christine Frauton's '00 program mark of nine triples made on Dec. 11, 1999. Like Montplaisir, Frauton also missed only one attempt that day.
• Saint Michael's buried 12 three-pointers, within two of a school record set just this past Feb. 1 on the same court, but in double overtime. On Tuesday, the Purple Knights matched the most threes ever hit in a regulation game in program history while hitting 50% of their long-range shots (12-for-24). They assisted 18 of their 27 baskets, shooting 52.9% overall from the floor. They added a key 20-13 lead in made free throws and a 34-25 rebounding advantage.
• The Purple Knights won their second straight game at Southern Connecticut State after winning only twice in their first 18 visits. Their 86 points were the most they have scored in 37 all-time meetings.

THE ACTION

• Taeya Steinauer's two free throws gave the Owls a 17-5 lead by 2:34 of the opening quarter, and Rheyna Steinauer's triple still had the hosts ahead 24-12 with 13 seconds to go.
• Between Furch's pair of freebies with one tick remaining in that period and Montplaisir's lay-up at 5:19 of the third quarter, the Purple Knights used a 45-16 run to surge in front by 17 points. They put together a 26-12 second-stanza advantage on the strength of 69.2% shooting before connecting on 5-of-7 three-point tries in the third quarter.
• After being ahead 65-51 heading into the final stanza, the visitors went back up by 17 when junior Bella Franchi (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central) canned a three 44 seconds into the fourth quarter. The Owls never trimmed their deficit to fewer than 12 points in the last frame.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME

• Wednesday vs. Saint Anselm College, 5:30 p.m.
• The Purple Knights open NE10 play that night.
• Saint Michael's hosts a Hope Happens Here Mental Health Awareness Game that day.