Blue Devils Set To Open NEC Play Versus St. Francis

The Central Connecticut State women's basketball team (1-12) returns to the court after the Holiday Break to open Northeast Conference play with a Thursday afternoon clash against the Red Flash of St. Francis University (2-11).  The Blue Devils will be looking to snap a five-game losing streak to begin 2025, as Central fell at Boston College, 83-56, in the team's last outing on December 20.

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The Red Flash leads the all-time series between the two schools which began in the 1997-98 season, 37-17.  CCSU won both of last year's meetings winning, 64-58, in Pennsylvania, and taking a 61-37 decision in the last meeting in Detrick Gymnasium on January 13, 2024.  St. Francis' last win in the series was a 63-57 home triumph on January 28, 2023.

A LOOK BACK AT THE BC GAME:

•  The CCSU women's basketball team closed out the non-conference portion of its schedule and wrapped up play in the 2024 calendar year with an 83-56 loss at Boston College on December 20.  Graduate student guard Belle Lanpher led the Blue Devils in scoring for the third straight game, as she surpassed the 20-point plateau in back-to-back outings, finishing with a game-high 22 points; 13 of which came in the second half.  Lanpher was joined in double figures by freshman Dagny Slomack who finished with a career-high 18 points.  Graduate student Meghan Kenefick finished with nine points in the game, just one point shy of giving Central a trio of double-digit scorers.  Freshman Selina Monestime led the Blue Devils on the boards pulling down a total of 10 rebounds.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION:

•   The Red Flash of Saint Francis (Pa.) University come into their Northeast Conference opener at 2-11 overall; looking to snap a three-game losing streak.  St. Francis' victories this season have come against Robert Morris, 58-55, and Delaware State, 69-60.  In their last game which took place on December 20, the Red Flash fell at Rhode Island, 77-37.
•   Saint Francis was slotted number five in this year's preseason NEC Coaches' Poll.
•   Sophomore Yanesssa Boyd leads the team in scoring averaging 8.7 points per game.  Junior Natalie Johnson is second in scoring at 7.3 ppg., and freshman Airah Lavy is third in scoring averaging 6.5 points per game.  Lavy has made a total of 26 field goals so far this season, and only two of those have come from inside the three-point arc.
•   Junior Jade Campbell leads SFU on the glass averaging 6.3 rebounds per outing.
•   As a team, the Red Flash are averaging 48.4 points and 32.3 rebounds per contest, and they are allowing the opposition 72.9 points per game plus opponents are pulling down an average of 37.2 rebounds per game.
•  Saint Francis is led by head coach Keila Whittington, who is in her sixth season as the bench boss in Loretto.  Last year, the Red Flash posted a 5-25 overall record and a 4-12 NEC mark.

THIS AND THAT:

•   CCSU's number two ranking in the Preseason Northeast Conference Coaches' Poll is the highest ranking in program history.
•  On December 23, graduate student guard Belle Lanpher earned NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow's Office Women's Basketball Player of the Week for her outstanding play that took place in games from December 16-22, 2024, when the Princeton, Massachusetts native averaged 24.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in contests versus Dartmouth and Boston College.  She opened the week with 27 points at home versus Dartmouth and followed that up with a 22-poiont performance at Boston College.  In the two games, Lanpher knocked down 17-of 31 field goals (54.8%), including going 5-of-10 from three-point range; plus she was a perfect 10-for-10 from the foul line.  Belle has moved her into tenth place on the all-time CSSU scoring list with a total of 1123 career points.  So far in her three games played this season, Lanpher is averaging an impressive 20.7 points per game.
•   Classmate Meghan Kenefick is averaging 9.8 points per contest.  Meghan, who is averaging 4.8 boards per games, enters Friday's game with a career total of 492 rebounds, just eight shy of 500.
•   Freshman Dagny Slomack coming off a career-high 18 points at BC is third on this season's CCSU scoring list averaging 8.8 points per game
•   Fellow freshman Selina Monestime is next in scoring averaging at 8.2 points per game, and she is also grabbing an average of 5.4 rebounds per game, which is good for second on the squad in that category.
•    Junior Alonna Sellers leads CCSU on the boards so far in 2024-25 averaging 6.5 rebounds per game.  Sellers is also averaging 7.5 points per outing. 
•    Six student-athletes have seen action in all 13 of Central's games so far this year.
•    As a team, the Blue Devils are averaging 53.8 points per game and allowing the opposition to score an average of 69.2 points per outing.  On the glass, Central is pulling down an average of 34.2 rebounds per game; while the opposition is averaging 40.2 rebounds per contest.

UP NEXT:

•   The Blue Devils continue a three-game homestand to open NEC action when conference newcomer Mercyhurst University comes to New Britain, this Saturday, January 4.  Game time versus the Lakers is set for 1:00 p.m.  Saint Francis continues conference play and wraps up a four-game road swing on Saturday at Stonehill.  Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m.