Strong Fourth Quarter Lifts Women's Basketball Past Wagner 59-56 on New Year's Eve
CCSU improves to 1-1 in the NEC.
After senior co-captain Brianna Jacobs knocked down a pair of free throws to give the Blue Devils a 55-53 lead with 4:31 left in Central Connecticut women's basketball's New Year's Eve showdown against Wagner, CCSU maintained its lead en route to earning its first victory of the season 59-56 over the Seahawks.
CCSU (1-12) advances to 1-1 in the Northeast Conference and Wagner falls to 1-1 and 3-10 on the season. The Blue Devils out-rebounded the Seahawks 38-35 led by seven boards from Jacobs who also notched a career-high 14 points.
Central Connecticut was led by junior Andi Lydon with 16 points and shot 60.0 percent (9-of-15) from three-point range as a team including four from the junior. The Blue Devils out-scored Wagner 16-9 and held the Seahawks to 16.7 percent (2-of-12) from the floor in the final period.
Central opened the New Year's Eve contest with a slow start, committing eight first quarter turnovers and shooting just 21.4 percent from the floor. Wagner led 13-7 after 10 minutes of action.
Patterson drained her second three-pointer of the game off of a pass from freshman Ashley Forker at the 9:33 mark to kick off the second period. Forker then found senior Brianna Jacobs for a lay in that gave CCSU a 14-13 lead with 6:55 left before the half.
After a scoreless 2:34 in the later half of the second quarter, CCSU scored eight points in the final 2:32 of the first half to lead for the first time all season at halftime 24-23.
The Blue Devils shot 50.0 percent (4-of-8) from downtown and the Seahawks were cold from behind the arc shooting 0-of-6. Lydon led CCSU with seven points and Forker tied her season-high in rebounds with five in the first half.
Central held Wagner's stud performer, Sierra Clark who averages 16.6 points per game, to just five points through 20 minutes of action. Wagner managed 10-of-27 (.370) from the floor and Central was 9-of-30 (.300).
The third quarter featured seven lead changes as both teams battled back and forth. Jacobs who had hit just three pointers in her career leading up Sunday's contest, drilled her second trifecta with 1:46 left in the third. Wagner's Clark answered with quick lay up on the other end, and Lydon knotted the score up at 41-all with Central's seventh three of the game.
The Blue Devils and the Seahawks found the score all locked up at 53-53 with 4:31 left in the fourth quarter. CCSU then knocked down 4-of-4 from the free throw line and forced four Wagner turnovers to take 59-55 lead that sealed the Blue Devil victory.
Clark finished with her sixth double-double of the season and two game-highs with 21 points and 16 rebounds.
Graduate student Morgan Johnson made a strong contribution with seven points and seven boards in 21 minutes of action.
Central will start the new year with a road trip to Bryant on Saturday, Jan. 6 to challenge the Bulldogs at 1:00 p.m.
