
Women's Hoops Goes Wire-To-Wire In Win Over Mercyhurst
Five Blue Devils Reach Double Figures and Meghan Kenefick Grabs her 500th Career Rebound
The Central Connecticut State women's basketball team led wire-to-wire on Saturday, and the Blue Devils earned their first Northeast Conference win of the season snapping a six-game losing skid with an impressive 78-52 home win over the Mercyhurst University Lakers. With the victory, CCSU is now 2-13 overall and an even 1-1 in NEC play. Mercyhurst is now 3-10 overall and 0-2 in conference play. CCSU used a balanced scoring attack and hot shooting to notch Saturday's win, as five Blue Devils reached double-digit scoring led junior Lucia Noin with 19 points. Noin also led CCSU with a game-high nine rebounds. Amaya Williams with 14 points, Dagny Slomack and Meghan Kenefick with 13 points apiece plus Belle Lanpher with 11 points completed the Central quintet of double-figure scorers. As a team, CCSU connected on 50.9 percent of its field goals (50.95), including hitting 9-of-19 from beyond the three-point arc (47.4%). The Blue Devils also went 15-of-18 (83.3%) from the free throw line in Saturday's triumph. Cici Hernandez led Mercyhurst with 19 points to tie Noin for game-high honors, and Bailey Kuhns also finished in double figures for the Lakers with 14 points.
GAME INFORMATION |BOX SCORE
Score: CCSU 78, Mercyhurst 52
Records: CCSU (2-13, 1-1 NEC), Mercyhurst (3-10, 0-2 NEC)
Location: Detrick Gymnasium |New Britain, Conn.
KEY MOMENTS
- CCSU scored the first five points of the contest on a layup by Alonna Sellers and a three-pointer by Lucia Noin before Mercyhust got on the scoreboard at the 6:00 mark.
- The Blue Devils got off to a strong start on offense, as Central led 12-5 at the first break in the game which came at the 4:02 mark of the opening quarter.
- Central led 24-8 after the first quarter. Those 24 points are the most points the Blue Devils have scored during the opening 10 minutes of play this season. Lucia Noin led CCSU with eight points in the first quarter.
- Meghan Kenefick knocked down a three-point shot to open the second quarter to give the Blue Devils a 19-point lead, 27-8. CCSU extended its lead to 23 points, 33-10, at the 6:05 mark of the quarter.
- After trailing by those 23 points, the visitors would chip away to cut the CCSU lead to 14 points at the half, 40-26. Lucia Noin led the Blue Devils with 15 points in the first half, and she was joined in double figures by Dagny Slomack with 10. Bailey Kuhns led Mercyhurst with 10 points at the break. Noin also led all players on the glass with six rebounds in the first half. CCSU shot a hot 54.2 percent for the floor (13-of-24); including hitting 5-of-10 three-pointers. Mercyhurst shot 34.6 percent for the floor during the fisrt 20 minutes of play (9-of-26).
- The Blue Devils got off to fast start to open the second half, as CCSU upped its lead to 20 points, 49-29, just 3:53 into the third quarter forcung Mercyhurst to call a timeout.
- The hosts continued their offensive onslaught to extend their lead to 27 points, 56-29, with 2:25 remining in the third quarter after a Lucia Noin layup off a Meghan Kenefick assist.
- CSSU, who led by as many as 30 points in the third quarter, outscored the Lakers, 22-8, in the third frame to lead 62-34 heading into the final 10 minutes of action.
- The Blue Devils would continue their solid play on offense to lead 71-42 at the media timeout in the final quarter at the 4:52 mark.
- Central's largest advantage of the day was a 35-point lead that came at the 7:45, 69-34, after a Belle Lanpher layup.
- Meghan Kenefick grabbed her 500th career rebound at 2:35 of the fourth quarter when she pulled down an offensive board.
NUMBER TO KNOW
500–Career rebounds for Meghan Kenefick with her five boards on Saturday.
NOTES
- Lucia Noin's 19 points are one off her career-high of 20 set earlier this season against the University of Bridgeport. Noin, who made her fourth start of the season on Saturday, also pulled down a season and career-best nine rebounds in the win.
- With her 14 points in Saturday's victory, Amaya Williams has notched double-digit scoring in back-to-back contests and has surpassed the 10-point mark in four outings so far in 2024-25.
- With her 11 points on Saturday, Belle Lanpher has reached double figures in all five games she has played this season after missing the first 10 contests this season due to injury.
- Along with pulling down her 500th career rebound on Saturday, Meghan Kenefick had a strong game on offense scoring 13 points, as she hit three, three-point shots in four attempts and went 4-of-6 from the foul line.
- Saturday's 78-point performance is a team season-high for the Blue Devils.
- CCSU dominated inside play in Saturday's victory scoring 36 points in the paint.
- Central won the battle of the boards against Mercyhurst outrebounding the Lakers by a 34-27 margin.
- The Blue Devils limited Mercyhurst to only eight total points in both the first and third quarters.
UP NEXT
- The Blue Devils wrap up their three-game homestand to open NEC action next Thursday, January 9 when the Sharks of Long Island University come to town. Game time versus the LIU is set for 7:00 p.m.