Women's Basketball Tripped Up at Saint Francis on Saturday
Freshman Tiffany Slicklein scored a career-high nine points to lead CCSU.
The Central Connecticut women's basketball team dropped its first game of its three-game road series at Saint Francis University, 87-59, on Saturday, Jan. 27 inside Degol Arena in Loretto, PA. Freshman Tiffany Slicklein posted a career-high nine points on 4-of-9 shooting. Junior Kiana Patterson also scored nine points to lead CCSU.
The Blue Devils (2-17, 2-6 NEC) shot 21-of-64 (.328) for the game and Saint Francis (12-8, 7-1 NEC) shot 33-for-71 (.465) from the floor and knocked down nine three-pointers.
Freshman Ashley Forker got the Blue Devils on the board, going coast-to-coast and fancying in a reverse lay up. The Red Flash opened the game shooting just .231 from the field (3-13) and the Blue Devils made 4-of-10 prior to the first media timeout.
CCSU committed three consecutive turnovers allowing SFU to go on a 7-0 run and take an 18-15 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Sophomore Ashley Chin came off the bench to knock down back-to-back three-pointers to bring CCSU to within three points, 30-27, with 3:24 on the clock. However, SFU would respond on a 7-0 run to push the lead back to double figures. Saint Francis extended its lead to as many as 11 points in the second quarter, led by graduate student Ace Harrison who scored 13 first half points.
Central held the Northeast Conference's leading scorer, Jessica Kovatch to just five points in the first half who was sent to the bench with 2:28 left in the first half with her third foul.
The Blue Devils trailed 37-29 at the half and shot 12-for-30 (40.0%) from the field through 20 minutes of action in Degol Arena. SFU shot just 16-of-43 (37.2%) from the floor including 4-for-19 (21.1%) from behind the arc.
Out of the halftime gate, SFU erupted on a 15-0 run in the first 5:07 of the second half increasing its lead to 24 points, 54-30. Freshman Emma McCamus finally ended the drought on a free throw at the 4:53 mark.
With a 19-point lead and 10 minutes remaining in regulation, the Red Flash did not lay off the gas pedal creating the game's largest margin of 33 points with 5:16 to go. SFU would finish 9-of-13 (.692) in the fourth quarter to close out the win.
Junior Andi Lydon matched her career-high in assists with five on the day and added six rebounds and two steals. Junior Sydney Hines had a strong performance after missing the past two games with eight points, four rebounds, three steals and two assists.
Kovatch led five other SFU members in double figures with 17 points. Harrison and Caitlyn Kroll both added 15 points for the Red Flash.
The Central Connecticut women's basketball team will next travel to Moon Township, PA on Monday, Jan. 29 to face the NEC leader, Robert Morris, at 7:00 p.m. inside of the North Athletic Complex.
