Women's Basketball 3-0 for the First Time in 25 Years After Win at Maine

The Central Connecticut women's basketball is 3-0 for the first time in 25 years after a 62-57 win over Maine on the road on Tuesday night. The win, the first road win of the season for CCSU, came after a solid defensive effort for the Blue Devils. They held Maine to just three second half field goals in the victory, and outrebounded the Black Bears 49-30. CCSU last started 3-0 in 1986-87, the first year of Division I at the school. Central returns to action on Saturday at Siena at 2 p.m.

Down 7-4, the Blue Devils used a pair of Leanne Crockett threes to fuel a 13-2 run and take a 17-9 lead with 12:16 on the clock. Freshman Jaleen Thomas converted a three-point play to push the lead to eight.

The lead reached 25-13 after a pair of free-throws from senior Justina Udenze and a three from junior Alexzandria Dowdy. Back-to-back threes from Maine's Amber Smith cut the lead to 25-19 with 5:34 to play.

The Black Bears ended the half with 12-7 run and the Blue Devils led 32-31 at the break. Neither team shot well from the floor, with Central hitting 10-of-27 (37%) and Maine hitting 12-of-27, good for 44 percent. Central was 4-of-10 from three while the Black Bears hit on 3-of-6, including their final three attempts of the half.

The Blue Devils held a 24-15 edge on the boards in the first, including 10 offensive boards, but committed 17 turnovers that led to 12 Maine points before halftime.

Dowdy scored 10 of the first 12 points for the Blue Devils in the second half and they took a 44-36 lead at the first media timeout. She had five points in the first half and hit two threes and a pair of running layups to give Central the eight point lead.

The first basket of the game from senior Kerrianne Dugan made it 46-38 with just over 11 to play. Maine went 10 minutes in the second half without a field goal, their first nine points of the half came from the free-throw line. A jumper with 9:49 to play made it 48-42.

A pair of baskets by freshman Lauren Arbogast stretched the lead to 52-42 with six minutes to play in the game. A three from Thomas made it 55-46. An 8-1 run from Maine cut the lead to 56-54 with 2:21 to play before a running bucket by Dugan made it a four point game again.

Up one, Dowdy found Arborgast underneath for a layup to make it 60-57 with 37 seconds to play. Dowdy hit two free-throws to make it 62-57 with 7.3 on the clock.

Dowdy finished the game with 17 points, matching her career-high. Arbogast had her most productive game in a Central uniform with 10 points, eight of which came in second half. Crockett and Gabrielle Oglesby each had eight in the win.

Udenze had 10 rebounds to lead Central, who had six players with at least four rebounds in the game. Dugan added seven boards to her six points. Crockett had five and Arbogast had a career-high six in her third career game.

The Blue Devils return to action on Saturday on the road at Siena beginning at 2 p.m.