Blue Devils Close Out Homestand Versus LIU On Thursday Night

The Central Connecticut State women's basketball team (2-13, 1-1 NEC) wraps up a three-game homestand on Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. when Northeast Conference play continues against the Sharks of Long Island University (4-11, 1-1 NEC).  The Blue Devils will be looking to start a winning streak on Thursday, as CSSU snapped a six-game losing skid and earned its first NEC win of 2025 with a 78-52 triumph over Mercyhurst on Saturday in Detrick Gymnasium.  LIU fell at Chicago State, 64-59, in overtime on Saturday in the squad's last outing.

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Since the 2003-04 season, LIU leads the all-time series with Central by a 25-15 margin.  Last season, the teams split their two meetings, as each school earned a road win, as the Sharks won in New Britain, 57-50, on January 21, 2024; and the Blue Devils returned the favor with a 65-56, victory in Brooklyn on February 29, 2024.

A LOOK BACK AT SATURDAY'S WIN OVER MERCYHURST:

• CCSU led wire-to-wire on Saturday, and the Blue Devils earned their first Northeast Conference win of the season snapping a six-game losing skid with an impressive 78-52 home win over the Mercyhurst University Lakers.  CCSU used a balanced scoring attack and hot shooting to notch Saturday's win, as five Blue Devils reached double-digit scoring led junior Lucia Noin with 19 points.  Noin also led CCSU with a game-high nine rebounds.  Her 19 points were one off her career-best of 20 scored earlier this year against the University of Bridgeport.  Amaya Williams with 14 points, Dagny Slomack and Meghan Kenefick with 13 points apiece plus Belle Lanpher with 11 points completed the Central quintet of double-figure scorers.  As a team, CCSU connected on 50.9 percent of its field goals (50.95), including hitting 9-of-19 from beyond the three-point arc (47.4%).  The Blue Devils also went 15-of-18 (83.3%) from the free throw line in Saturday's triumph.  

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION:

•    The Sharks of Long Island University come into Detrick Gymnasium with a 4-11 overall record and a 1-1 Northeast Conference mark having opened NEC play with a 59-48 home win over LeMoyne on January 2 before falling in overtime at Chicago State, 64-59, on Saturday.  LIU's other wins this season have come against Cal State Fullerton (63-52), Northeastern (63-61) and Delaware State (65-63).
•    The Sharks were slotted in seventh place in this year's preseason NEC Women's Basketball Coaches' Poll.
•    Junior Sirviva Legions leads the team in scoring so far this season averaging 12.9 points per game.  She is followed by sophomore Janessa Williams at 12.1 points per outing, and Williams also leads the team in rebounding averaging 6.9 boards per game.
•   As a team, the Sharks are averaging 52.6 points and 32.4 rebounds per contest, and they are allowing the opposition 67.5 points per game plus opponents are pulling down an average of 36.5 rebounds per game.
•   LIU is led by head coach Rene Hayes, who is in her sixth season as the Sharks' mentor.  Last year, the team went 8-22 overall and 5-11 in Northeast Conference play.

THIS AND THAT:

•   CCSU's number two ranking in the Preseason Northeast Conference Coaches' Poll is the highest ranking in program history.
•   Thursday's game snaps a string of nine consecutive day games played by the Blue Devils.  The last time Central played a game that had a tip-off scheduled for later than 4:00 p.m. was on November 20, 2024 at Fairfield.
•   CCSU guard Amaya Williams was recognized for her fine play last week with her selection as an NEC Prime Performer on Monday.  In two games to open the 2025 calendar year, Williams netted a career-high 17 points versus Saint Francis on Thursday, and she followed that up with 14 points in Saturday's win over Mercyhurst.  Amaya shot the ball extremely well last week connecting on 11-of-15 field goals (73.3%), including hitting 5-of-7 three-point shots (71.4%).  She also was a perfect 4-for-4 from the foul line in the two games.
•  Graduate student Belle Lanpher leads Central in scoring average at 17.0 points in her five games played so far this season.  So far in her four games played this season, Lanpher is averaging 18.5 points per game, and she has gone 20-of-22 from the free throw stripe (90.9%).
•   With her five rebounds on Saturday, Meghan Kenefick reached the 500 career rebounding plateau.  Her 500th board came an offensive rebound at the 2:35 mark of the fourth quarter.  So far this season, Kenefick is second on the Blue Devils in scoring averaging 9.4 points per game, and she is third on the team in rebounding at 4.7 rpg.
•   Freshman Dagny Slomack is third on this season's CCSU scoring list averaging 9.1 points per game.
•   Fellow freshman Selina Monestime is next in scoring averaging at 8.0 points per game, and she is second on the Blue Devils in rebounding grabbing and average of 5.1 per game.
•    Junior Alonna Sellers leads CCSU on the boards so far in 2024-25 averaging 6.6 rebounds per game.  Sellers is also averaging 7.7 points per outing.
•    Saturday's 78 points are a season-high on offense for CCSU this season.
•    As a team, the Blue Devils are averaging 56.1 points per game and allowing the opposition to score an average of 68.7 points per outing.  On the glass, Central is pulling down an average of 33.9 rebounds per game; while the opposition is averaging 39.5 rebounds per contest.

UP NEXT:

•   The Blue Devils embark on a three-game, three-state conference road trip beginning on Saturday in New York City against Wagner College.  Game time in Staten Island is set for 4:00 p.m.  After the Wagner game, Central plays in New Jersey at FDU; followed by a trip to Illinois to take on Chicago State.  CCSU's next home game is slated for Saturday, January 25 against LeMoyne.  LIU heads home on Saturday to face Stonehill at 2:00 p.m.