WBB Opens NEC Play with Victory Over FDU

The Central Connecticut women's basketball team opened Northeast Conference play with an 82-53 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday afternoon.  The Blue Devils (5-7, 1-0 NEC) featured a trio of double-digit scorers led by junior Nicole Ferguson's 18 points.  The Knights fall to 3-8 on the season and 0-1 in NEC play with the loss.

The Blue Devils scored a season-high 82 points and also posted a season-best 29-point margin of victory in the contest.

The Knights led 4-2 after the first two minutes of play, but a layup by sophomore Aleah Epps with 17:08 left in the period sparked a 13-0 run that gave the Blue Devils an early 15-4 advantage.  Six different CCSU players contributed to the run, which was capped with a jumper by senior Kaley Watras.

The Blue Devils led by as many as 16 points in the half and eventually took a 12-point advantage into halftime.

CCSU opened the second half by outscoring the Knights 17-8 over the first six minutes and 37 seconds of the period.  The early run gave the Blue Devils a 21-point lead and CCSU never looked back eventually pulling away for the 29-point victory.

Ferguson connected on five field goals, three three-pointers and five free throws to score a career-high 18 points.  Her pervious game-high of 14 points came earlier this season in a victory over Vermont.

Redshirt freshman Lauren Wolosik (16 points) and junior Kayla Miller (12 points) also scored in double figures.  Wolosik's points came on an efficient six-of-10 from the floor, three-of-six from beyond the arc and one-of-two at the free throw line.  Miller was even better from the floor going six-of-nine from the field and dominating on the glass with five offensive rebounds.

Miller's seven rebounds led CCSU with Ferguson grabbing six boards and senior Amanda Harrington and freshman Camden Musgrave each pulling down five.  Epps, Wolosik and junior TeJahne Malone also hit the glass and all recorded four rebounds.

Watras dished out a team-high six assists as CCSU recorded an assist on 20 of the team's 30 field goals.

The Blue Devils finished the game shooting 50.0% (30-60) from the field, 37.5% (9-24) from beyond the arc and 61.9% (13-21) at the free throw line.  The Knights posted 32.7% from the field, 33.3% from three and 69.6% at the free throw line.  CCSU also dominated the glass out rebounding FDU 44-31.

Prior to Saturday, the Blue Devils high for points this season was 81 against UMass Lowell on Nov. 22.  That contest was also CCSU's largest margin of victory on the season, 23 points.

The victory marks CCSU's first win in an NEC opener since the 2008-09 season.

CCSU also snapped a five-game losing streak with the victory.

The Blue Devils return to action on Monday night against intrastate rival Sacred Heart.  The Blue Devils and Pioneers will tip-off at 5 p.m. in the first game of a doubleheader at the William H. Pitt Center in Fairfield, CT.  The CCSU and SHU men's basketball teams will play the second game of the night.