Furious Comeback Gives CCSU Win at RMU

Freshman guards Matt Mobley and Khalen Cumberlander combined to score 30 points and shoot 11-of-18 from the field as the Central Connecticut men's basketball team overcame an 18-point second half deficit to win 74-73 on the road at Robert Morris on Saturday afternoon.

The Blue Devils are now 6-15 overall and 2-6 in Northeast Conference play.  RMU falls to 12-11 overall and 7-1 in league action.  The Blue Devils finish their four-game road swing with a 2-2 record with wins at Wagner and at Robert Morris.

Central outrebounded the Colonials 38-29, including 13 offensive rebounds that led to 11 second chance points.

The lead was 63-45 in favor of the home team with 7:38 on the clock after a layup from RMU's David Appolon.  The Blue Devils scored five straight to cut the lead to 13, but RMU pushed it back to 15 with 5:53 left.  A 10-2 run for the Blue Devils would cut it to 67-60 with under four minutes to play.  The run was capped by a three from Mobley.

Down 70-62, the Blue Devils used an 8-2 run in a 57 second span to cut it to 72-70 with 58 seconds on the clock.  A free-throw made it 73-70 but a bucket from McMillan cut it to one.  Following a missed jumper from RMU's Karvel Anderson, Mobley grabbed the rebound and went the length of the floor and got fouled with 2.2 seconds on the clock.  He drained both free-throws for the win.

The Colonials were stunned in the second half as the Blue Devil defense held Robert Morris to 10-of-24 shooting and just 1-of-9 from three. They also struggled from the line making just 13-of-22.   The Blue Devils continue to hold teams to a low percentage from three-point land in conference play.  RMU was 8-of-26 from three in the loss.

The Blue Devils were 9-of-20 from three, making six of their last seven attempts in the win.  They were also 13-of-13 from the line.

The Blue Devils caught fire in the final minutes, including threes from Cumberlander and Mobley and big shots from junior Malcolm McMillan, who finished the game with 14 points and three assists.

The Blue Devils won for the first time this season when trailing at the half.  They were down 16.

Central struggled to end the first half, missing their final eight shots from the field and they fell behind 46-30 at halftime.  The Blue Devils led by one at the 12 minute mark, but finished the half just 3-of-16 as the Colonials pulled away with a late 15-2 run in the final 6:42.

Cumberlander had 10 for Central before halftime, but the Blue Devils were only 9-of-26 from the field and 3-of-10 from three.  Junior Faronte Drakeford added six points before the break.

Cumberlander led the Blue Devil offense with 18, he also had four rebounds and was 6-of-9 from the field and 3-of-4 from three.  Mobley added 12, including 10 in the last five minutes of the half.  McMillan added 14 and Drakeford had 12 points and eight boards.

Central returns to action on Thursday night hosting Bryant beginning at 7 p.m.  They will also host Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. in Detrick Gym.