Men's Hoop Can't Hang On in Loss to Bethune-Cookman
Blue Devils will play next Sunday art East Carolina on ESPN3
The Central Connecticut men's basketball team fell to 0-5 on the season with a 65-60 loss to Bethune-Cookman on Sunday afternoon. The game was the third in three days for the Blue Devils in the NABC College Basketball Experience Hall of Fame Classic being held at Monmouth University.
Sophomore Matt Mobley led the Blue Devil offense with 21 points, his third 20+ point performance in five games this season. Senior Faronte Drakeford added a season-high 20, including 14 in the first half. Junior Brandon Peel had 10 rebounds, his second double-figure rebound performance of the season.
The Blue Devils played an efficient first half and led by as many as 10 twice during the period. They hit on 11-of-19 shots from the field, good for 57.9 percent, easily their best shooting half of the season. They were 2-of-6 from three, both coming from Mobley. They went to the free-throw line 14 times and made 11.
Drakeford led all scorers with 14 points at the half, already good for his season-high. He made 5-of-6 from the field and grabbed a pair of rebounds. Junior Brandon Peel grabbed seven boards as the Blue Devils held a 15-11 advantage on the boards.
Bethune-Cookman hit on 10-of-24 from the field in the first half and turned the ball over eight times. The Blue Devils had 10 turnovers. Mobley and freshman Kevin Seymour each had two assists.
The Wildcats started the second half with a 10-4 run, including five straight points, to cut the Blue Devil lead to 39-37 with 15:39 left. Central was forced to call its first timeout of the game.
After pushing the lead back to four, 41-37, Bethune-Cookman scored four straight to tied the game 41-41. The Blue Devils went cold from the field and had only two field goals in the first eight minutes of the half.
The score was stuck on 45-44 for almost two minutes before a three from senior Greg Andrade made it 48-44 with just over eight minutes to play.
Mobley scored five straight, including his 20th point of the game, to push the Blue Devil lead to 58-52 with 3:40 left. He also hit his third three of the game during the stretch. Bethune-Cookman answered with a quick bucket to cut the lead to four.
The Blue Devils led 58-56 but came up empty twice on the offensive end of the floor. Bethune-Cookman answered with a three and took a 59-58 lead, their first lead since it was 2-0 in the first half. They would not trail again in the game.
Down two, the Blue Devils forced a Bethune-Cookman turnover with 18.2 seconds to play, and sophomore Khalen Cumberlander was fouled with a chance to go to the line to tie the game. He made 1-of-2 to make it 61-60, but the Blue Devils would get no closer as the Wildcats would make four free-throws in the closing seconds to secure the 65-60 win.
Mobley had 21 on 5-of-9 shooting, including three threes, and 8-of-9 from the line. Drakeford had 20 points and three boards to go along with a pair of assists.
The Blue Devils will be off for a week before heading to East Carolina on Sunday beginning at 2 p.m. The game will air live on ESPN3.
