CCSU Tops Bryant at Home, 73-59

Juniors Kerrianne Dugan and Justina Udenze scored a combined 41 points and went 15-22 from the free throw line as Central Connecticut State University defeated Bryant (10-13, 7-5 NEC) by a score of 73-59 at home on Saturday afternoon. Dugan led the Blue Devils with a season high 23 points and hit 7-11 from the charity stripe, while Udenze added 18 points on 8-11 free throw shooting. CCSU improves to 9-13 on the season and 6-6 in Northeast Conference action.

Central used an 8-0 run to take its first lead since 2-0 when Dugan connected on two straight layups, making it 12-11 with 13:30 to play in the first half. Udenze and junior Leanne Crockett then extended the Blue Devil lead to five points at 16-11 with 12:41 left, finishing consecutive layups for CCSU.

Central Connecticut used efficient shooting to hold on to a 33-31 first half lead. The Blue Devils shot 13-24 from the field for a field goal percentage of 54.2 in the opening period. They also held the Bulldogs to only 38.7 percent from the floor but committed 12 turnovers which led to 11 points from Bryant in the first half.

The next time Bryant held the lead was at 41-39 when freshman Danielle Douglas scored on a layup just over five minutes into the second half. The Blue Devils countered with a 13-1 run that extended the CCSU lead to 10 points, at 52-42.

Central started the scoring stretch with three assisted baskets in a row. Senior Emily Rose gave the Blue Devils the lead again with a three-pointer off of a pass from Crockett. Sophomore Alexzandria Dowdy then found Dugan in the lane for a layup that put CCSU up three. Crockett finished the assisted play when she converted a Dugan pass to make it 46-42 with just under 11 minutes left in the game.

After senior P.J. Wade beat the defense on a dribble drive and finished with a layup, Udenze and Dugan got to the free throw line on consecutive possessions. After both went two for two from the stripe, CCSU had a double digit lead for the first time.

The Blue Devils contained the Bulldogs the rest of the way out and went on to the 73-59 victory. CCSU got to the line and made their opportunities count on Saturday, setting season best marks of 25 free throws made and 38 attempts from the line. Udenze and Dugan were at the heart of it, going 8-11 and 7-11, respectively.

Bryant, who scored recorded 17 offensive rebounds and scored 21 second chance points on Thursday night, was held to only 10 offensive boards and eight second chance points. CCSU held the Bulldogs to a shooting percentage of 33.9 percent for the game, while finishing the night with a 46.9 field goal percentage of their own.

Junior Jaime Campbell led Bryant with 14 points, while senior Kelsey O'Keefe and Douglas added 12 points each. O'Keefe tallied a team high eight rebounds and it was senior Kristin Mraz that led the Bulldogs with four helpers in the defeat.

Dugan added six rebounds, a game high five assists and two steals, while Udenze recorded six rebounds and two blocks in the victory. Crockett finished with eight points, a game high 11 rebounds and four assists. It marked the 10th time this season that Crockett reached double figures in rebounds.

The Blue Devils, now 9-13 on the season and 6-6 in NEC play, will next host a pair of games next weekend. Robert Morris will come to New Britain on Thursday, February 11, and then CCSU will host St. Francis (PA) on Saturday, February 13.

The 2009-10 men's and women's basketball seasons are brought to you by Farmington Bank.