CCSU WBB Comes Up Short at Fordham in WNIT
Blue Devils end the season with a 19-13 overall record
The Central Connecticut women's basketball team led for much of the game but couldn't withstand a second half comeback on the road at Fordham in the WNIT on Thursday night. The Blue Devils led by as many as 11 in the second half, but Fordham rebounded for a 70-67 win.
Senior Amanda Harrington led the Blue Devils with 18 points and six rebounds, shooting 8-of-11 from the field in the loss. She was one of four Blue Devils in double figures.
Junior Kayla Miller had 14 points a nine rebounds, narrowly missing the double-double for Central Connecticut. Junior TeJahne Malone added 10 points and eight boards while freshman Camden Musgrave had 13 points and four assists, including 3-of-6 from three.
Central started the game on fire from the field, making 13-of-15 to start the game and built a lead of 25-11 less than eight minutes into the contest. They finished the first half 17-of-30 from the field, 1-of-2 from three, and led 37-31 after the Rams went on a 20-12 run to end the half.
In the second half the Blue Devils built the lead back to 11, 52-41, with 13:07 left in the game. Fordham answered again, however, and went on an 11-2 run to cut the Blue Devil lead to 54-52 with 9:55 to play.
The game was tied 57-57 with 8:13 left in the game when a Harrington jumper gave the Blue Devils a 59-57 edge. The two teams would go back and forth before Fordham claimed their first lead of the game, 63-62, with under four minutes to play. They wouldn't trail again in the game.
They would lead by as many as six in the final minutes before the Blue Devils gave it one final run. A Musgrave three with seven seconds left cut it to two, 69-67, and the Blue Devils were forced to foul. Fordham made only one on the other end and Central had one final chance, but was unable to get a shot off in the final seconds.
Central shot 48.3 percent from the field in the loss, making 28-of-58 from the field and 5-of-9 from three. They were just 6-of-12 from the free-throw line, and were outrebounded 41-38.
The loss ends the season for CCSU with a record of 19-13. The trip to the Postseason WNIT is the second in program history for CCSU, who won the regular season Northeast Conference Championship for the first time in school history.