CCSU Women Welcome Stonehill On Saturday

The Central Connecticut State women's basketball team (5-15, 4-3 NEC) opens its February slate of games on Saturday afternoon looking to start a winning streak when CCSU hosts the Stonehill College Skyhawks (9-11, 5-2 NEC) in a Northeast Conference contest.  The Blue Devils snapped a two-game losing streak last Saturday afternoon in Detrick Gymnasium with a convincing 67-50 victory over LeMoyne. The Skyhawks swoop into New Britain following a tight, 66-64, road win over Chicago State last Saturday.  The triumph over the Cougars marked the 1000th victory for the program, as Stonehill now stands with a mark of 1000-451 over its 53 seasons of women's basketball action; a winning percentage of 68.9%.  Saturday's game will complete the first round of conference play for the Blue Devils, who will have eight regular season games remaining after facing Stonehill.

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In the all-time series, Stonehill and Central have met four times with each squad earning two victories.  The Shyhawks captured both meetings during the 2022-23 season, and the Blue Devils took both games last year winning 71-59 at home on January 8, 2024 and posting a 64-45 triumph in Massachusetts on March 3, 2024.

A LOOK BACK AT SATURDAY'S VICTORY OVER LeMOYNE:

• The CCSU women's basketball team got back in the win column last Saturday afternoon, as the Blue Devils never trailed in the game, as they posted a 67-50 home NEC victory over the visiting LeMoyne College Dolphins  For the second straight outing, four Blue Devils reached double-digit scoring led by graduate student Belle Lanpher who finished with a game-high 20 points.  She was joined in double figures by senior Amaya Williams with 13 points, and freshman Dagny Slomack and graduate student Meghan Kenefick each had 12 points for the winners.  Kenefick and Kayla Henry led Central in rebounding on Saturday, as they each grabbed six boards.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION:

•    The Stonehill College Skyhawks come into Saturday's action with a 9-11 overall record and a 5-2 NEC mark.  Saturday's 66-64 victory in Chicago ended a two-game losing streak for the squad.  Prior to that two-game skid, Stonehill posted four wins in a row defeating Mercyhurst, Saint Francis, Chicago State and LIU to open conference play.
•    The Skyhawks were predicted to finish fourth in the Northeast Conference standings in this year's preseason league coaches' poll.
•    Senior Sharn Hayward leads the team in scoring averaging 16.0 points per game.  The native of Tasmania is a true threat from behind the three-point arc, as she has knocked down 67 triples so far this season and is hooting almost 40 percent (39.6%) from downtown.  Graduate student, Kylie Swider, this week's NEC Player of the Week and a Villanova transfer, is second in scoring averaging 13.2 points per outing, and she leads the team in rebounding grabbing 8.9 boards per game.  Sophomore Brooke Paquette rounds out a trio of Skyhawks in double-digit scoring averaging 10.9 ppg.
•   As a team, Stonehill is averaging 64.1 points and 36.6 rebounds per contest, and the Skyhawks are allowing the opposition 68.5 points per game plus opponents are pulling down an average of 34.0 rebounds per game.
• Stonehill is led by veteran head coach Trisha Brown, who is her 24th season as the Shyhawks' mentor.

THIS AND THAT:

•   CCSU's number two ranking in the Preseason Northeast Conference Coaches' Poll is the highest ranking in program history.
•  With her game-high 20 points in Saturday's win, graduate student  Belle Lanpher is only three points away from moving into sixth place on CCSU's all-time women's basketball scoring list. She has a total of 1288 career points heading into play on Saturday.  Belle has reached double figures in all 10 games she has played this season and a total of 12 straight outings dating back to last season. So far in 2024-25, Lanpher is averaging 22.7 points per game.   She was a perfect 7-of-7 from the foul line in Saturday's win to make her season free percentage 93.5 % (58-of-62).  Saturday was also another solid all-around game for the Massachusetts native, as she finished with five rebounds, four assists and one steal with no turnovers.  Lanpher received her second straight NEC Prime Performer recognition on Monday for her fine play last week.
•   Speaking of turnovers, Central committed a season-low eight miscues last Saturday, and they also blocked a season-high five shots in the victory over LeMoyne.
•   Freshman Dagny Slomack, who has reached double figures in 10 games so far this season, is second on this season's CCSU scoring list averaging 8.9 points per game.
•  Graduate student Meghan Kenefick is next in scoring averaging 8.8 points per game, and she has grabbed 5.6 rebounds per outing (7.1 rpg. in NEC play).  Kenefick has now pulled down a total of 542 rebounds for her career.
•   As a team, the Blue Devils are averaging 57.9 points per game and allowing the opposition to score an average of 65.3 points per outing.  On the glass, Central is pulling down an average of 35.9 rebounds per game; while the opposition is averaging 38.2 rebounds per contest.  Central has outrebounded its opponents in six straight games.

UP NEXT:

•   The Blue Devils wrap up their three-game homestand this coming Thursday, February 6, when the team at the top of the NEC standings, the Knights of FDU, come to Detrick Gymnasium for a 4:00 p.m. game.  The FDU game will be only available to watch on ESPN+.  Stonehill heads home to host LIU next Saturday, February 8 at 2:00 p.m.