Women's Basketball Hosts LIU, Monday at 7 PM

The Central Connecticut women's basketball team will host LIU Brooklyn at Detrick Gymnasium on Monday night.  The Blue Devils (9-12, 3-8 NEC) and Blackbirds (5-17, 3-8 NEC) are scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip-off.

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Below are notes on the Blue Devils heading into today's game:

Tonight • The Blue Devils (9-12, 3-8 NEC) host the Blackbirds of LIU Brooklyn (5-17, 3-8 NEC) at Detrick Gymnasium in New Britain, CT.  CCSU and LIU enter tonight tied for eighth place in the Northeast Conference and while there are still seven games left to play the outcome of this contest could have a major effect of on the playoff of chances of both programs.  The Blue Devils need a victory to split the season series with LIU and prevent the Blackbirds from taking the crucial head-to-head tiebreaker. 

Seven Games Left • Seven games remain in the Northeast Conference regular season and all 10 teams are still in the hunt for a playoff berth.  CCSU is currently tied with LIU for eighth place, the final playoff spot, and the two teams meet tonight in an important contest.  CCSU must still make road trips to Robert Morris, Saint Francis U and Fairleigh Dickinson after today and home games over the final weeks include LIU, Sacred Heart, Wagner and a visit from Bryant in the regular season finale.  With the NEC standings packed between first and ninth places the final three weeks of the season will see a lot of movement.

Series History • The Blackbirds hold a 16-11 edge in the all-time series between these programs.  LIU earned a 60-51 victory over the Blue Devils earlier this season on their home court, but now the Blue Devils are at home for tonight's contest.  CCSU won the only meeting last season a 63-54 victory at Detrick Gymnasium.

Tough Stretch • Today's game is the only home game in a stretch where five of six contests will be away from Detrick Gym.  A trip to Robert Morris and Saint Francis U next weekend will conclude the difficult road stretch.  However, CCSU will close the season with home games against Sacred Heart, Wagner and Bryant, with a road game at Fairleigh Dickinson scheduled for the season's final Saturday.

Spark off the Bench • Freshman Aleah Epps gave the Blue Devils spark off the bench in Saturday's loss.  When Epps entered the game with 9:04 left in the first half the Blue Devils were down 13-6.  Epps scored nine of CCSU's next 12 points to help spark the offense and close the scored to 27-18.  Epps added six more points in the second half to finish with a career-high 15 points.

Academic All-District • Senior Jessica Babe was named to the CoSida Capital One Academic All-District First Team on Thursday (1/30).  Babe was one of five players named to the first team for District I, which includes institutions from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and New York.  Babe was joined on the District I first team by student-athletes from Harvard, Brown, Cornell and Fordham.

Double-Digit Victories • A win today over LIU Brooklyn would give the Blue Devils 10 or more victories in six straight seasons.  It would be the first six-year run of double-digit win totals in the history of CCSU women's basketball.  Last year's 16 wins gave the Blue Devils five straight double-digit win seasons for the first time in the Division I era.  The program also had a five-year run at the Division II level between 1975 and 1980.

Quick Facts • The Blue Devils are 6-1 when scoring 70+ points this season • The Blue Devils are 7-0 when leading with two minutes left to in regulation • Senior Jessica Babe made her 75th career start on Monday at Mount St. Mary's • Head Coach Beryl Piper led the Blue Devils on the court for the 200th time against Mount last Monday •

Climbing the Career List • Senior Jessica Babe - already third on the CCSU career steals list at 222 - passed Sethe Thompson (343) for fourth on the career assist list on Monday (1/27).  With 351 career assists, Babe is 42 shy of the all-time CCSU record of 393 by Nikki Flocco.