Men's Basketball Stymied at Quinnipiac on Thursday
The Central Connecticut men's basketball team fell at Quinnipiac, 71-49, on Thursday in Hamden, CT. The Blue Devils only lead came in the opening minute of the game and the Bobcats built a double-digit lead in the closing minutes of the opening half before pulling away after halftime.
Darin Smith, Jr., led CCSU and was the only Blue Devil in double-digits with 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting. James Jones chipped in eight points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds. Central was limited to .277 (18-65) shooting overall and was just 4-of-23 (.174) from three-point range. The Blue Devils were 9-of-14 (.643) at the foul stripe.
GAME INFORMATION | BOX SCORE
Score: CCSU 49, QUINNIPIAC 71
Records: CCSU (1-1), QU (1-1)
Location: M&T Bank Arena | Hamden, CT
KEY MOMENTS
- CCSU would hit 2-of-3 shots in the opening 2:02 of the game and led 4-2 in the early going. That would be Central's largest lead, however, as Quinnipiac would hit a three-pointer with 17:46 to go in the opening period to go ahead for good at 6-4. A three-pointer by Jay Rodgers got the Blue Devils within, 13-11, but that was their only trifecta on nine attempts in the opening half.
- A jumper by Smith, Jr. would tie the game at 17-17 with 8:23 to go, but the Blue Devils would go nearly seven minutes without another field goal. The game remained within two until a Jaden Zimmerman three-pointer put QU ahead, 27-20, with 5:18 remaining in the period and opened a run of seven straight points. A jumper by Rodgers with 1:46 left ended the CCSU field goal drought, but the Bobcats would head into halftime with a 37-27 lead.
- CCSU opened the second half scoring with a Melo Sanchez trey to cut the deficit to 37-30, but Quinnipiac would outscore the visitors, 14-2, over four-and-a-half minute span to extend the lead. A Zimmerman three-pointer with 14:20 to play made it 51-32.
- The Bobcats would push their lead to as much as 62-36 with 9:19 to play and the Blue Devils were unable to get closer than 68-47 with under a minute to play after a Jones bucket. A Max Frazer layup with 0:24 left settled the final margin.
NUMBER TO KNOW
16 – The Blue Devils were outscored in the paint by a margin of 36-20.
NOTES
- Jones' 12 rebounds were one off his career-high set against Vermont State Johnson last season.
- Ja'Kobe Williams matched for game-high honors with five assists.
- CCSU committed just nine turnovers in the game, but was only able to force Quinnipiac into five giveaways.
- Quinnipiac shot 40.8 percent overall and had a 41-40 edge in rebounding.
- Central leads the all-time series, 48-26
UP NEXT
- CCSU will travel to Boston College on Tuesday for the second game of a four-game road swing.
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