Men's Basketball Cruises in Season-Opener on Monday night
The Central Connecticut men's basketball team opened the season with a 117-55 win over Vermont State Johnson on Monday in New Britain. The Blue Devils led wire-to-wire and shot 60.0 percent from the field with five players in double-figures.
Darin Smith, Jr. led all scorers with 20 points and seven rebounds. Max Frazier (14 points), Jay Rodgers (11) and Melo Sanchez (10) also scored in double-figures. CCSU shot 48-80 (.600) overall, 12-31 (.387) on three-pointers and 8-11 (.818) at the foul line.
GAME INFORMATION | BOX SCORE
Score: CCSU 117, VERMONT STATE JOHNSON 55
Records: CCSU (1-0), VTSU-J (0-1)
Location: Detrick Gymnasium | New Britain, CT
KEY MOMENTS
- Central allowed one field goal in the opening 5:07 and built a double-digit lead following a Jayden Mott layup to make it 13-3. The Blue Devils would triple the margin over a seven-minute span in the first half, capped off with a Max Frazier dunk that made it 49-19 with 6:52 to go in the half.
- Smith, Jr. scored six points in the final 2:39 and Elijah Parker had a three-pointer as CCSU went into halftime with a 67-29 lead.
- The Blue Devils pushed the lead to 86-40 before the first media timeout and would not look back from there on. Parker scored a layup with 6:03 to play as CCSU reached the century mark and a dunk by Daniel James would settle the final margin with 1:22 left.
NUMBER TO KNOW
62 – The margin of victory is the second-largest in program history for CCSU.
NOTES
- Rodgers was playing in his first game since Dec. 9, 2023. He added seven assists, three rebounds and a steal in 19 minutes.
- Smith, Jr. who led the NEC in three-point accuracy last season attempted just one trifecta.
- Central had 28 assists on 48 field goals in the game.
- The Blue Devils had 12 scorers in the game.
- CCSU has won both meetings against the Badgers.
UP NEXT
CCSU plays at Quinnipiac on Thursday night.
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