Blue Devils Move to 2-0 at Home with 89-86 Double Overtime Victory Over UMBC
Sophomore Robby Ptacek scored 23 points and dished out five assists as the Central Connecticut State University men's basketball team topped UMBC 89-86 in double overtime on Wednesday night. Senior Joe Seymore scored a season-high 15 points and hit three threes as Central improved to 4-6 overall on the season and 2-0 at home. The Blue Devils return to action on Saturday at 5 p.m. against Holy Cross at the Mohegan Sun Arena.
Sophomore Robby Ptacek scored 23
points and dished out five assists as the Central Connecticut State
University men's basketball team topped UMBC 89-86 in double
overtime on Wednesday night. Senior Joe Seymore scored a
season-high 15 points and hit three threes as Central improved to
4-6 overall on the season and 2-0 at home. The Blue Devils return
to action on Saturday at 5 p.m. against Holy Cross at the Mohegan
Sun Arena.
Seymore's output was his best of the 2009-10 season, matching the
15 points he put up in a lost to Long Island earlier this year. He
scored all 15 of his points after halftime, including seven in the
two overtime periods.
Central was led by Ptacek's 23 points, but had five players score
in double figures in the victory. Seymore had 15 while sophomore
Vince Rosario added 14,
junior David Simmons had 13 and
junior Shemik Thompson had 12. It
marked the first time since the 2008-09 season that the Blue Devils
had five players scored 10 or more in a game.
The overtime victory is the second of the season for Central, both
of those coming at home. They topped Albany 70-68 at home earlier
in December. The Blue Devils are now 14-5 in overtime games in the
14 seasons under head coach Howie Dickenman. The
victory is the 20th straight for Central when scoring at least 80
points in a game.
Central and UMBC were tied at 66 at the end of regulation. The
third three of the game by Seymore gave the Blue Devils a 76-73
lead with 2:36 to play in the first overtime. UMBC answered with a
three of their own on their next possession and neither team would
score again, leading to the second overtime.
The visitors led 82-80 after scoring four straight points with 2:37
on the clock. The Blue Devils answered with seven straight points,
including the third three of the game by Rosario and a bucket in
the paint by Seymore. Thompson hit a pair of free-throws and
Seymore hit his two from the line as the Blue Devils held on the
for the 89-86 victory. It is their second victory in the last
three games.
Ptacek led the way with 23, marking the first time in his career
that he has scored 20 or more points in back-to-back games. The
Blue Devils begin their home season 2-0 for the first time since
the 2001-02 season.
Thompson added a season-high eight assists and seven rebounds for
the Blue Devils. Simmons added seven boards to his 12 points.
As a team Central had 16 assists and only 10 turnovers in the
game. Ptacek also added five assists.
Central is in action again on Saturday at 5 p.m. playing againt
Holy Cross at the Mohegan Sun Arena.
