Blue Devils Drop Opener to Fairfield in CT6
CCSU plays again on Monday night at Maryland on ESPN3
Sophomore Matt Mobley scored a career-high 30 points but the Central Connecticut men's basketball team dropped a 71-63 decision vs. Fairfield in the Connecticut 6 Classic on Friday afternoon in Hamden, CT. Mobley hit 11-of-12 from the free-throw line in the game, and the Blue Devils were 20-of-24, but a late Fairfield run helped the Stags earn the victory.
The Blue Devils cut a 13-point second half Fairfield lead to two, 55-53, with 3:46 left in the game, but the Stags answered with a 9-0 run over the next three minutes to secure the victory. Fairfield would finish the game 21-of-29 from the line, including 15-of-23 in the second half, to help earn the win.
Mobley's 30 led all scorers. Senior Faronte Drakeford scored 10 points and added a team-high nine rebounds in the loss. Junior Brandon Peel also had nine rebounds. Senior Malcolm McMillan had seven points and five rebounds.
Fairfield was led by Marcus Gilbert who had 21 points and eight rebounds. Amadou Sidibe had 13 points and 12 rebounds in the win for Fairfield.
Central climbed out to an 8-0 lead behind five quick points from Mobley before the Stags got on the board. The score remained close throughout the first half, with neither team able to build a lead higher than two after the 15 minute mark. The Stags finished the half on an 11-2 run as the Blue Devils went without a field goal over the last five minutes of the half.
Central didn't shoot well in the first half, hitting just 8-of-28, including 2-of-7 from three. Mobley was 4-of-10 while the rest of the squad shot 4-of-18. They did hit 8-of-8 from the free-throw line before halftime. Mobley had 14 at the half, and junior Brandon Peel added five points and six rebounds. The Stags held a slight 20-17 edge on the boards.
The Blue Devils finished the game 19-of-55 from the field in the game, good for just 34.5 percent. They hit 5-of-15 from three. The Stags held a 41-35 edge in rebounds. Central had 12 assists and turned the ball over just eight times.
The Blue Devils return to action on Monday night on the road at Maryland at 7:30 p.m. live on ESPN3.
