Artigues Sinks Buzzer Beater to Lift Central Past Bryant 66-65
Bruna Vila Artigues scored a career-high 13 points.
The Central Connecticut (7-13, 3-6 NEC) women's basketball team outlasted Bryant (6-14, 4-5 NEC) 66-65 on Saturday in Detrick Gymnasium. Junior Bruna Vila Artigues scored a career-high 13 points and sank a three just before the buzzer to give the Blue Devils its third Northeast Conference win. Artigues connected on 5-of-7 (71.4 percent) from the field including 3-4 (75.0 perent) from three.
Down two with 5.9 seconds, senior Kiana Patterson missed a corner three, but senior Andi Lydon chased down the rebounds and found Artigues who hoisted a shot over a Bryant defender for the win.
The Blue Devils opened the game forcing back to back Bulldog turnovers. Patterson scored the first five points for Central connecting on 3-of-5 shots in the opening quarter. Sophomore Ashley Berube scored on an up and under move and recorded her 32nd block of the season rejecting Sydney Holloway's shot at the rim with 3:24 to play in the first quarter. The Bulldogs closed the quarter on a 6-0 run to have a 20-15 lead at the end of the first.
The second quarter was even with both teams making six field goals each. Artigues sank two triples and Berube continued to dominate on the block shooting 4-of-5 in the first half. After shooting 12-30 (40 percent) in the half, including 4-8 (50 percent) from three, the Blue Devils entered halftime tied 32-32.
Bryant came out of the locker room on an 8-3 run holding the Blue Devils to just 1-of-5 shooting in the first three minutes of the second half. Sophomore Tiffany Slicklein provided a third quarter spark shooting 2-of-3 from the field in the third. Bryant shot 9-15 (60 percent) in the third the largest lead of the game of 12 points.
With 10 minutes to play, Central trailed 54-44. Sophomore Emma McCamus opened the fourth with an old fashion three-point play. Berube connected on back to back layups to make it a two-possession game. Sophomore Ashley Forker got in on the action and knocked down Central's sixth triple of the day putting the Blue Devils down 59-55 with 3:26 left on the clock.
Kierra Palmer drained a three with 18.0 seconds giving the Bulldogs a 64-63 lead, but the Blue Devils rallied together to pull out the win.
Patterson ended with 20 points, the seventh time this season she has recorded 20 or more, along with four assists. Berube recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 17 points and 11 rebounds. She shot 6-7 (85.7 percent) from the field and 5-7 (71.4 percent) from the foul line.
Holloway recorded a double-double for the Bulldogs with 27 points and 16 rebounds. Naumi Ashley was the only other player for Bryant to hit double-figures with 15 points.
The Blue Devils go on a four-game road series before returning to Detrick Gym on February 23, against Sacred Heart at 1 p.m.
