Women's Hoops Visits Sacred Heart

The Central Connecticut women's basketball team will look to run its winning streak to four games at Sacred Heart on Monday night.  The Blue Devils (14-12, 8-7 NEC) and Pioneers (18-8, 10-4 NEC) met earlier this season at Detrick Gym with CCSU earning a 62-57 victory in overtime.

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Here are some notes on the Blue Devils heading into tonight's game:

Today • The Blue Devils (14-12, 8-7 NEC) visit Sacred Heart in a Northeast Conference women's basketball game with major playoff implications.  The Pioneers (18-8, 10-4 NEC) have clinched a playoff berth, but are still looking to secure the tournament's #2 seed.  While the Blue Devils are not yet locked into a playoff spot, CCSU is very much in control of its own destiny and can climb as high as the #2 seed with three more wins and losses by other teams.  Earlier this season the Blue Devils earned a 62-57 victory over Sacred Heart in overtime.  This is the Blue Devils' sixth game in 13 days.

Series History • Sacred Heart holds a 23-7 advantage in the all-time Division I series between these programs.  Under head coach Beryl Piper the Blue Devils are 5-8 against the Pioneers and have a 5-3 record over the last three seasons.  Under Piper, CCSU has a 3-3 record at the Pitt Center.  Two of the Blue Devils' victories over Sacred Heart have knocked the Pioneers out of the NEC Tournament.

The Schedule • Today's game marks the sixth CCSU contest in a 13 day stretch.  Prior to today CCSU has played Wednesday (2/13), Saturday (2/16), Monday (2/18), Wednesday (2/20) and Saturday (2/23).

The Playoff Picture • Heading into today's action Quinnipiac has claimed the NEC Regular Season Championship and the #1 seed to the NEC Tournament.  Sacred Heart has also clinched a NEC Tournament berth.  Tied for third are Monmouth and Saint Francis U at 9-6, tied for fifth are CCSU, Mount St. Mary's and St. Francis Brooklyn at 8-7.  Bryant currently holds eighth place with a 6-8 record, but Fairleigh Dickinson and Robert Morris are close behind at 6-9. 

Assisting the Team • Junior Jessica Babe has 104 assists this season, which gives her a new season-high.  Last season, Babe recorded 102 assists to lead the Blue Devils.  She is currently tenth on CCSU's career list with 257 assists.

Round Numbers • Senior Jaclyn Babe reached 1,000 career points two weeks ago and sophomore Kaley Watras reached 400 career points on Saturday.  Senior Kirsten Daamen is just 4 points shy of 800 for her career.  Also approaching milestone scoring numbers are junior Jessica Babe (24 points from 600) and junior Lauren Arbogast (18 points from 500).  On the coaching side, head coach Beryl Piper recorded her 80th career win on Saturday.

Wins • With 14 wins this season the 2012-13 team is tied with the 2000-01 team for the fifth most wins in a Division I season.  With a victory tonight, the Blue Devils could move ahead of the 00-01 squad.  Head coach Beryl Piper has led CCSU in three of the top-six seasons by win total.  The program's DI record of 21 wins was set during the 1989-90 season, the 2010-11 team's 19 wins are second, the 2008-09 squad's 18 wins are third and the 1998-99 team's 17 wins are currently fourth.

Big Win at Bryant • The Blue Devils went on the road and earned a 76-66 victory over the Bulldogs on Saturday.  CCSU was led by sophomore Kaley Watras' career-high 26 points.  Watras hit on 6-of-6 shots from the field and 12-of-14 at the free throw line.  As a team CCSU shot 50.8% from the field for the game, a season-high.  Seniors Jaclyn Babe and Kirsten Daamen each scored 16 points.  The victory was also the 80th for head coach Beryl piper.

A Career-High • Sophomore Kaley Watras' career-high 26 points came on 6-of-6 shooting, 2-of-2 from behind the three-point arc, and 12-of-14 from the free throw line.  Watras had 17 points in the first half, and did not even attempt a shot in the second half, scoring all nine of her points at the free throw line.  Over her last three games Watras has totaled 58 points and is averaging 19.3 pts/g.

Double Double-Doubles • Senior Jaclyn Babe picked up her second double-double of the season on Saturday.  The Blue Devils now have 10 double-doubles in 13 games since senior Kirsten Daamen recorded the team's first on Jan. 12.  The Blue Devils started the year with zero double-doubles over the first 13 games.