Balanced Attack Leads CCSU to 87-83 Win at Wagner

Freshman Matt Mobley led a balanced attack with a career-high 22 points and also grabbed a career-high seven rebounds as the Central Connecticut men's basketball team topped Wagner 87-83 on the road on Thursday night.  The win moves CCSU to 5-13 overall and 1-4 in the Northeast Conference. 

Wagner falls to 9-9 overall and 3-2 in the NEC with the loss.  The teams split the season series with each team winning on the other team's home floor.

Mobley led the offense with 22, while junior Malcolm McMillan added 19 points, five rebounds and six assists in the victory.  Junior Faronte Drakeford had 16 points on 8-of-14 shooting while also posting two steals and two assists.

Sophomore Brandon Peel added 14 points, six rebounds and a career-high six blocks in the game.  The Blue Devils had 12 blocks in the game, their third-highest single game total in school history.  Senior Terrell Allen posted a career-high four blocks in the victory.

The Blue Devils led 39-36 after a tremendous first half in which they shot 51.6 percent from the field and had six blocks.  Mobley had 10 and Drakeford added eight, while all eight Blue Devils who played scored in the half. 

The Seahawks shot only 17-of-37 from the field and 1-of-7 from three before halftime.

In the second half the Seahawks came out quickly to take a lead, but the Blue Devils answered and held on for the four-point victory.  They shot 17-of-30 from the field in the half, and 5-of-11 from three.

Down 75-70 with 2:34 left in the game, the Blue Devils posted an 11-0 run to take the lead for good and they held on to post their first conference win of the season.  The five point lead for Wagner was their largest of the game.

Central hit 14-of-18 from the line in the win, including 6-of-6 down the stretch from Mobley and Peel.  Peel, who was 0-for-2 from the line prior to his attempts in the final seconds, drained two to ice the victory.

The 87 points are a season-high for the Blue Devils, as was their 54.1 percent field percentage.  they made 33-of-61 from the field and 7-of-16 from three.  Mobley had a career-high four threes and was 6-of-6 from the line. 

The Blue Devils return to action on the road at Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday beginning at 4:30 p.m.