CCSU Women Ship Up To Boston College On Friday

The Central Connecticut State women's basketball team (1-11) will wrap up this season's non-conference slate of games with a trip north to Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts on Friday, December 20 to take on the Boston College Eagles (9-4).  Tip-time in the Conte Forum for CCSU's final tilt of the 2024 calendar year is set for 12 noon.  The Blue Devils will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak on Friday, as Central was edged by Dartmouth, 61-59, in New Britain on Monday morning in the squad's last outing.

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Friday's contest will be the 11th all-time meeting between CCSU and BC.  Central holds a 6-4 advantage in the series having won the first six matchups between the two schools beginning with a 76-56 victory in New Britain on February 13, 1975.  Boston College has won the last four games in the series with the Eagles' last triumph coming at home on December 22, 2022 by an 86-35 score.  The Blue Devils' last victory in the series was a 53-52 win in Connecticut on January 30, 1982.

A LOOK BACK AT MONDAY'S DARTMOUTH GAME:

•   Playing in just her second game of the 2024-25 season, Central Connecticut State's Belle Lanpher scored 27 points, just three off her career-high, grabbed seven rebounds, dished off four assists and made one steal, but it was not enough for the host Blue Devils on Monday morning, as Central fell to the visiting Big Green of Dartmouth College, 61-59.  Junior Alonna Sellers joined Lanpher in double-digit scoring with 10 points, and she finished with her second double-double of the season pulling down a career-high 13 rebounds. 

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION:

•    The Eagles of Boston College are members of the Atlantic Coast Conference and come into play on Friday with a 9-4 overall record and a 1-0 ACC mark. BC upped its winning streak to three with a 94-46 home win over Bryant on December 15 in the team's last outing.
•    Boston College has had a balanced attack on offense so far this season, as four players are averaging in double figures led by graduate student Dontavia Waggoner at 12.3 points per game.  Waggoner is joined in double-digit scoring by juniors T'yana Todd (11.7 ppg.) and Teya Sidberry (11.3 ppg.) and senior Andrea Daley at 10.9 points per contest.
•    Teya Sidberry leads BC on the glass averaging 6.5 rebounds per outing.
•   As a team, the Eagles are averaging 74.8 points and 37.5 rebounds per contest, and they are allowing the opposition 59.8 points per game plus opponents are pulling down an average of 33.0 rebounds per game.
•   Boston College is led by seventh-year head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee, who earned her 100th win at BC earlier this season. Bernabei-McNamee has also served as head coach at Albany, Pikeville and West Virginia Wesleyan.  Last year, the Eagles posted a 14-19 overall record and a 5-13 ACC mark.

THIS AND THAT:

•    CCSU's number two ranking in the Preseason Northeast Conference Coaches' Poll is the highest ranking in program history.
•    Graduate student, guard Belle Lanpher has been outstanding since her return to the court two games ago, as she has averaged an even 20.0 points per game.  In Monday's loss to Dartmouth, Lanpher finished with 27 points, just three off her career high of 30 points which she scored against St. Francis Brooklyn on February 2, 2023.  Those 27 points also give Belle 1101 points for her stellar CCSU career and move her into twelfth place on Central all-time scoring list.  She is also averaging 6.0 rebounds per game in her two outings.
•    Classmate Meghan Kenefick is averaging 9.9 points per contest.  Meghan, who is averaging 4.8 boards per games, enters Friday's game with a career total of 487 rebounds, just 13 shy of 500.
•    Freshman Selina Monestime is next in scoring averaging at 8.8 points per game, and she is also grabbing an average of 5.0 rebounds per game.
•    Junior Alonna Sellers leads CCSU on the boards so far in 2024-25 averaging 6.9 rebounds per game.  Sellers is also averaging 8.2 points per outing.  Against Dartmouth, Alonna grabbed a career high 13 rebounds and scored 10 points for her second double-double of the season.
•     Six student-athletes have seen action in all 12 of Central's games so far this year with senior Amaya Williams being the only Blue Devils to start every game.  Amaya also is shooting 90.5 percent from the free throw line so far this year, as she has knocked down 19-of-21 shots from the charity stripe.
•    As a team, the Blue Devils are averaging 53.7 points per game and allowing the opposition to score an average of 68.1 points per outing.  On the glass, Central is pulling down an average of 33.8 rebounds per game; while the opposition is averaging 40.3 rebounds per contest.

UP NEXT:

•   The Blue Devils return home to open play in 2025 with their first Northeast Conference game of the season when Saint Francis (Pa.) comes to Detrick Gymnasium for a 4:00 p.m. tilt on Thursday, January 2.  The Saint Francis game will be the first of three consecutive NEC home games for Central to begin the New Year.  Boston College returns to Atlantic Coast Conference action on Sunday, December 29 when the Eagles host Louisville.  Game time is set for 2:00 p.m.