Women's Hoops Falls to Pioneers

Central Connecticut women's basketball dropped its second straight Northeast Conference match Monday, falling to the Sacred Heart Pioneers 63-56.

GAME INFORMATION

FINAL SCORE CCSU 56 SHU 63

RECORDS CCSU (3-10, 2-4 NEC) SHU (5-6, 4-2 NEC)

LOCATION Detrick Gymnasium | New Britain, CT

KEY MOMENTS

• The Blue Devils got into an early 7-0 hole in the first quarter, but a three from Eden Nibbelink helped get Central back on track. Baskets from Ashley Berube, Forever Toppin and Belle Lanpher, respectively, helped the Blue Devils tie things back up at 9.
• On one of the final possessions of the first quarter, Dejah Jenkins lined up a three and immediately sprinted towards the hoop. She knew the shot was off, gathered the board in time and scored her own second chance basket.
• CCSU was only able to score one basket over the first six minutes of the second quarter, while the Pioneers started things off with an 8-2 run. It was all Berube the rest of the half, however, as she converted on an and-one play, then scored twice more before both teams headed into the halftime break. CCSU trailed 27-22.
• Both teams started out the second half red hot, as the third quickly became both teams' best shooting quarter. The Blue Devils and Pioneers traded basket-for-basket twice before SHU began to pull away a bit. 
• The Blue Devils only got to the line once in the entire first half, compared to SHU's seven attempts from the line in the first. Toppin was able to draw some contact late in the third and earned herself two straight trips to the line that helped cut the lead to single digits.
• CCSU kept clawing away at the lead, and a basket from Berube made it a one possession game with two minutes to play in the third quarter. 
• The Pioneers made their best effort to pull away, but the Blue Devils kept battling. Two free throws from Toppin made it a one possession game again, then the Pioneers went on a run. A corner three from Jenkins once again made it a three point game late, but the Pioneers converted on their attempts from the line and sealed the win.

NOTES

• Berube's 23 points tie a season high, which she hit at NJIT earlier this year.
• Neither team could get anything going from deep all game. SHU only shot 14.3 percent while CCSU put up a 12.5 percent total.

UP NEXT...

The Blue Devils will look to get back in the win column this Friday when they host Fairleigh Dickinson.