Men's Basketball Heads to Sacred Heart in NEC Contest Saturday
The Blue Devils tip off against the Pioneers at 3:30 p.m.
January 4, 2019
Central Connecticut begins a stretch of three straight road games in Northeast Conference play when it travels to Sacred Heart on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The game is part of a CCSU-SHU doubleheader with the women's teams tipping off at 1:00 p.m.
All CCSU home games and Northeast Conference games are available to watch online, for free, at NECFrontRow.com.
Central Connecticut suffered a setback to Wagner in the NEC opener, while playing without leading scorer senior Tyler Kohl, who missed the game due to injury. Four Blue Devils average double-figures, including junior Joe Hugley who scored a team-high 14 points with nine rebounds on Thursday night.
Sacred Heart opened the conference season with a 79-75 win over defending champion LIU Brooklyn. E.J. Anosike hit a go-ahead three-pointer with under a minute to play and finished with a game-high 19 points. Koreem Ozier averages 20.0 points per game and has played in the past three games after missing a month of action. Anosike (13.2 ppg) is also one of five Pioneers in double-figures to go with 7.6 rebounds.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION | Pitt Center(Fairfield, CT)
CCSU (6-8, 0-1 NEC) at SACRED HEART (5-9, 1-0 NEC) | SATURDAY, JAN. 5| 3:30 PM
VIDEO (NEC Front Row) | LIVE STATS | @KizerBlueDevil (In-game twitter updates)
COMPLETE GAME NOTES | 2018-19 RECORD BOOK
SERIES HISTORY • CCSU leads the all-time series, 37-27, but the Pioneers have won six straight in the series.
FOR OPENERS • Central Connecticut faces in-state rival Sacred Heart on Saturday to begin a string of three straight NEC road games. This road stretch is the 3rd time CCSU will play 3+ straight road games - they will play 4 straight on the road Feb. 7-16. With 6 non-league wins, CCSU won 6+ non-league games in consecutive years for the first time since 1998-99 (6-3) & 1999-2000 (7-2). Central was 7-6 last year in non-NEC play. Following today's game Central travels to Fairleigh Dickinson on Jan. 10 before going on to face Mount St. Mary's on Jan. 12.
WITH A CCSU WIN TODAY • Central Connecticut would improve to 7-8 on the season, 1-1 in the NEC, 3-6 on the road...The Blue Devils would avoid a 0-2 start in NEC play for 5th time in 6 seasons...CCSU would snap a 6-game losing streak against the Pioneers, dating back to Feb. 21, 2015. CCSU's last win at the Pitt Center came on March 1, 2014...Head coach Donyell Marshall would pick up his first victory against the Pioneers. SHU is 1 of 2 NEC schools (Wagner) that Marshall has yet to defeat in 3 seasons at Central.
BULLETS ON BATISTE • Tyson Batiste is a co-captain this season and has provided steady leadership at the point for Central. The junior guard currently leads the NEC in assist-turnover ratio at 2.5 and is 10th in assists per game (3.2). Batiste has committed fewer than 2 turnovers in 5 straight games, while dishing out a season-high 6 assists twice in that span (at Maine, vs. Wagner). He has 12 career games of 5+ dimes.
UP NEXT • Following today's game Central travels to Fairleigh Dickinson on Jan. 10 before going on to face Mount St. Mary's on Jan. 12.
