Central And UMass Set For Sunday Women's Basketball Matchup
Both Squads Still Battling For First Win Of 2024-25
The Central Connecticut State University women's basketball team (0-2) heads north on Sunday afternoon in search of its first win of the season against the University of Massachusetts (0-2). CCSU dropped its 2024-25 home opener in Detrick Gymnasium on Thursday night falling to Manhattan, 78-64. The Blue Devils opened this season on November 4 with an 89-48 road loss versus the University of Minnesota out of the Big Ten.
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The Blue Devils and Minutewomen have met seven times before Sunday with UMass holding a slight 4-3 advantage in the all-time series. The two teams last met on November 7, 2022 in Amherst, and UMass earned its fourth straight win over the Blue Devils with a 72-57 victory. Central's last win in the series was 78-68 triumph in New Britain during the 2015-16 season.
LOOKING BACK AT THURSDAY'S HOME OPENER…
• Three Blue Devils finished with double digits in the scoring column, but it was not enough, as Central fell to the visiting Jaspers of Manhattan College, 78-64, in CCSU's '24-25 home opener on Thursday night in New Britain.
• Newcomer Selina Monestime led CCSU and all players in the game on Thursday with 18 points. Graduate student Meghan Kenefick had 15 points and freshman Dagny Slomack, who has reached double-digit scoring in the first two games of her collegiate career, chipped in 12 points. Kenefick finished with her first career double-double versus the Jaspers, as she also pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds.
• Central had a fine night from the charity stripe on Thursday going 19-of-26 from the foul line (73.1 %). They hit 16-of-20 (80.0%) free throws in the fourth quarter.
• The Blue Devils outscored the visitors, 24-22, in the fourth quarter.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION ...
• The UMass Minutewomen are members of the Atlantic 10 Conference (A10) and enter Sunday's matchup with a 0-2 record following a 48-45 at home loss against New Hampshire on Thursday evening. UMass opened the 2024-25 season with a 71-58 loss at Harvard on November 4.
• Allie Palmieri had 20 points in Thursday's loss, and Megan Olbrys led UMass on the glass against New Hampshire with 12 rebounds
• Palmieri leads the Minutewomen in scoring averaging a robust 17.5 points per game through two outings this season. She is followed in the scoring column by Yahmina McKayle at 7.5 ppg. and Megan Olbrys who is averaging 6.5 points per game.
• Olbrys leads UMass in rebounding averaging 12.5 boards per game.
• As a team, Massachusetts is averaging 51.5 points and 40.0 rebounds per outing, and they are allowing the opposition 59.5 points per game plus opponents are pulling down an average of 38.0 rebounds per game.
• The Minutewomen are led by head coach Mike Leflar, who is in his second season as the UMass bench boss. Last season, UMass posted a 5-27 overall mark.
THIS AND THAT...
• CCSU's number two ranking in the Preseason Northeast Conference Coaches' Poll is the highest ranking in program history,
• Three Blue Devils, Meghan Kenefick, Selina Monestime and Dagny Slomack , are tied for the team lead in scoring through two games this season averaging 11.5 points per game. Monestime had a game-high 18 points on Thursday.
• Alonna Sellers is next on the Central scoring list averaging 9.0 points per game.
• Selina Monestime leads CCSU on the glass so far in 2024-25 grabbing an average of 7.5 boards per game. Meghan Kenefick and Alonna Sellers are tied for second in rebounding averaging 6.5 caroms per game.
• As a team, the Blue Devils are averaging 56.0 points per game and allowing the opposition to score an average of 83.5 points per game. On the boards, Central is pulling down an average of 33.0 rebounds per game; while the opposition is averaging 39.0 rebounds per contest.
UP NEXT…
• Central returns to the friendly confines of Detrick Gymnasium next Tuesday, November 12 when Bryant University comes calling for a 7:00 p.m. game. UMass continues a five-game homestand hosting Monmouth University on Friday, November 15 at 6:00 p.m.
