
Belle Lanpher's Second Career Double-Double Leads CCSU Over LIU, 52-48
Scored A Game-High 25 Points And Grabbed A Game-Best 11 Boards
Graduate student guard Belle Lanpher notched her second career double-double with game highs in points with 25 and rebounds with 11 to help lead the Central Connecticut State women's basketball team to a 52-48 home Northeast Conference win over the Long Island University Sharks in Detrick Gymnasium on Thursday night. The Blue Devils, who have now won back-to-back outings, move their overall record to 3-13, and Central is now 2-1 in the NEC. LIU slips to 4-12 overall and 1-2 in conference play. CCSU overcame a slow start to the game to come back for the victory, as the Sharks led 10-0 after three minutes of play. Lanpher's classmate Meghan Kenefick played all 40 minutes for the winners on Thursday, and she contributed eight points and seven rebounds for the Blue Devils. Sirviva Legions led LIU with 15 points, and Janessa Williams was the Sharks' top rebounder pulling down 10 boards.
GAME INFORMATION |BOX SCORE
Score: CCSU 52, LIU 48
Records: CCSU (3-13, 2-1 NEC), LIU (4-12, 1-2 NEC)
Location: Detrick Gymnasium |New Britain, Conn.
KEY MOMENTS
- LIU scored the first eight points of the game forcing CCSU to call a timeout at the 7:30 mark of the opening quarter.
- Kayla Henry would stop the Sharks run at 10 with a put back basket at the 6:01 mark.
- Henry's hoop would start a 9-0 run for Central to close the quarter, as the Sharks led 10-9 after the first 10 minutes.
- Meghan Kenefick would hit a jumper at the 8:18 mark of the second quarter to give CCSU its first lead of the game at 11-10.
- A Cierra Pearson three-point play at 6:26 of the second quarter upped the Central lead to 14-10.
- CCSU would increase its lead to five at 23-18 at halftime, as the Blue Devils outscored the Sharks, 14-8, in the second quarter. Belle Lanpher led all scorers in the game with eight points at the half, and she also chipped in a team-best four rebounds in the opening 20 minutes of action. Central forced LIU into 12 first half turnovers that they turned into 12 points.
- Meghan Kenefick scored four straight points to open the third quarter to run CCSU's lead to nine points at 27-18.
- The Blue Devils would lead by 14 points, the team's largest advantage of the contest, 34-20, at the 5:51 mark of the third frame after Belle Lanpher made a pair of free throws, but LIU would cut its deficit to 10 at 44-34 at the media timeout of the third frame which came at 4:29.
- Dagny Slomack knocked down a three-point shot at the third quarter buzzer to give Central a 41-28 lead heading into the final 10 minutes of play, as CSSU outscored the Sharks, 18-10, in the third quarter.
- LIU opened the fourth quarter on a 9-3 run to cut the Blue Devils' lead to five points, 44-39, at the fourth quarter media timeout which came at the 4:36 mark.
- A basket by Sirviva Legions at 1:11 cut CCSU's lead to only four at 47-43, but a Belle Lanpher layup with 44 second to go moved the lead to six, at 49-43; however the Sharks would come down and hit a three to make the score 49-46 with 31 seconds to go.
- Lanpher would then go to the free throw line with 20.7 second to play and split a the pair of charity tosses to increase Central's lead to 50-46, and she would then ice the game with two makes with 8.6 seconds to go to make the score 52-46. LIU would then make a basket with one second to play make the final score 52-48, as the visitors outscored the hosts, 20-11, in the final quarter.
NUMBER TO KNOW
11–Rebounds by Belle Lanpher to tie her career-high on the glass.
NOTES
- Belle Lanpher has now reached double-digit scoring in all six of her games played so far this season after missing the year's first 10 games due to injury. With her 25 points and 11 rebounds in Thursday victory, Lanpher now has recorded two career double-doubles. Her 11 rebounds against LIU tie her career high previously set on February 25, 2023 at Sacred Heart. Belle went 11-of-12 from the free throw line on Thursday. So far this season, she has gone an impressive 31-of-34 (91.2%) from the line.
- Lanpher led the Blue Devils with four of her team's five steals in the win.
- Speaking of free throws, CCSU went 17-of-21 (81.0%) from the foul line on Thursday; while LIU hit 5-of-6 (83.3%) foul shots.
- Meghan Kenefick played all 40 minutes of Thursday's contest scoring eight points with seven rebounds. Kenefick now has 507 career rebounds.
- Sophomore Constance Ogbeide played her first minutes of the season in Thursday's victory.
- Central won the battle of the boards against the Sharks, 43-40.
UP NEXT
- The Blue Devils embark on a three-game conference road trip beginning on Saturday in New York City against Wagner College. Game time in Staten Island is set for 4:00 p.m.