Women's Basketball Erases 16-Point Deficit to Overcome Wagner, 66-64
The Blue Devils collect their fourth straight victory at Wagner on Saturday.
After facing a 16-point deficit, on the road, in a crucial game towards the Northeast Conference postseason race, the Central Connecticut women's basketball team captured its fourth-straight victory over Wagner, 66-64, in a huge comeback win. The Blue Devils held Wagner to just 5-of-26 (.192) shooting, out-scoring the Seahawks 28-18 in the second half to seal the victory.
Patterson posted her first double-double of the season with 24 points and a career-high 12 assists. Patterson accounted for five of Central's nine three-pointers in the game. The Blue Devils advance to 6-7 in the league and 6-18 on the year. Wagner falls to 5-20 and 3-11 in the NEC.
CCSU shot 25-of-55 (.455) from the floor and Wagner ended the game 23-for-57 (.404).
Wagner's Sierra Clark came out firing, scoring 10 points and helping the Seahawks take a 24-16 lead at the end of the first quarter. Wagner took off on an 8-0 run after having the score tied at 13-13 which was ended on a three-pointer from junior Sydney Hines with 1:35 to go in the opening period.
The Seahawks poured it on from the field and built a 13-0 run early in the second quarter, forcing Central Connecticut to call a time out with 7:56 to go. Following back-to-back Wagner turnovers, freshman Emma McCamus sank a pair of free throws and a corner three-pointer to spark a 7-0 Blue Devil run in and cut the Wagner lead down to eight points, 34-26 with 5:31 on the game clock.
Wagner countered the Blue Devils' spurt with six straight points to build a 14-point, 40-26, margin with 3:49 to go before the intermission. CCSU would out-scored the Seahawks 12-6 for the remainder of the quarter to cut the deficit down to 46-38 at the halftime break.
Both teams shot outstanding from the floor in the first half. Wagner made 18-of-31 (.581) and CCSU connected on 14-of-28 (.500). The two opponents shot an identical 5-for-10 from three-point range.
Clark tallied 20 first half points and Patterson paced Central with 12 points including three threes.
Following graduate transfer Morgan Johnson's second half opening three-pointer, CCSU accelerated on a 14-2 run to take its first lead at 50-48 since the 3:52 mark in the first quarter. Junior Andi Lydon gave CCSU the advantage with 3:42 in the third quarter on a three off a pass from Patterson.
Patterson drained a deep three-pointer as the third quarter time expired to give CCSU a 59-54 edge heading into the final period.
Wagner's Morgan Lenahan pulled the Seahawks to within 65-63 of CCSU with 3:20 to go in the fourth quarter and Clark made one-of-two free throws to make it a one-point game. The Seahawks fouled McCamus with 6.4 seconds to go, as she went one to make 1-of-2.
Following a Wagner time out, the Seahawks lost control of the ball and was unable to get a shot off as the final clock expired.
Lydon ended the day just shy of her second straight double-double with nine points and ten rebounds.
The Blue Devils held Clark to eight second half points who ended the game with a game-high 28 points and 10 rebounds. Lenahan notched 16 points and five points for Wagner.
The Central Connecticut will take its four-game winning streak down to Emmitsburg, MD to take on the Mountaineers on Mount St. Mary's on Monday night at 7:00 p.m. inside of Knott Arena.
