Blue Devils Wrap Up Road Trip In The Windy City

The Central Connecticut State women's basketball team (4-14, 3-2 NEC) wraps up a three-game Northeast Conference road trip on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time when CCSU heads to the Windy City to take on NEC newcomer, the Chicago State University Cougars (1-14, 1-4 NEC).  The Blue Devils will be looking to get back in the win column after a 75-58 loss at FDU on Saturday afternoon.  The Cougars are back on their homecourt after a 49-43 loss to that same FDU squad on Monday in New Jersey.

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Thursday evening will be the inaugural meeting in women's basketball for CCSU and Chicago State.

A LOOK BACK AT THE FDU GAME:

• Central saw its three-game winning streak come to an end on Saturday afternoon, as the host FDU Knights scored the first six points of the game and never looked back on their way to a 75-58 Northeast Conference win in New Jersey.  Saturday was another outstanding day for CCSU graduate student guard Belle Lanpher who surpassed the 30-point mark for the second straight outing netting a game-high 31 points after scoring a career-high 37 at Wagner last Saturday.  She also grabbed five rebounds and added one assist at FDU.  Sophomore Kayla Henry had a fine game on Saturday scoring a career-high 12 points and just missing a double-double, as she tied her career-high with a game-best nine rebounds.    

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION:

•    The Chicago State University Cougars come into Thursday's action with a 1-19 overall record and a 1-4 Northeast Conference mark.  The team's lone win this season was a 64-59 home victory over LIU on January 4.  The Cougars are looking to snap a three-game losing skid when they host the Blue Devils.
•    Chicago State was predicted to finish in a tie for eighth place in the NEC standings in this year's preseason league coaches' poll.
•    Freshman Alyanna Culver leads the team in scoring averaging 12.7 points per game.  She is joined in double figures by junior Josie Hill at 12.1 points per game, and Hill also leads the team on the boards at 5.5 rebounds per game.
•   As a team, the Cougars are averaging 57.2 points and 33.2 rebounds per contest, and they are allowing the opposition 83.5 points per game plus opponents are pulling down an average of 46.8 rebounds per game.
• The Cougars are led by Corry Irvin, who is in her first season as Chicago State's head coach.  Last year, the team went 1-26 playing as a Division 1 Independent.

THIS AND THAT:

•  CCSU's number two ranking in the Preseason Northeast Conference Coaches' Poll is the highest ranking in program history.
•  Graduate student Belle Lanpher, who has scored 30-plus points in back-to-back games and three times in her career, has moved into seventh place on the CSSU all-time women's basketball scoring list with 1239 points after her 31-point performance at FDU.  She is averaging 22.3 points per game so far in 2024-25.  Belle has reached double figures in the scoring department in all eight games she has played during the 2024-25 campaign.  After going a perfect 6-for-6 from the foul line on Saturday, Lanpher is now 43-of-46 from the free throw stripe (93.8%).  Belle is also averaging 6.0 rebounds per game.  Belle was named an NEC Prime Performer this week.
•   Freshman Dagny Slomack is second on this season's CCSU scoring list averaging 8.6 points per game.
•  Graduate student Meghan Kenefick is averaging 8.5 points, and she has grabbed 5.2 rebounds per outing (6.4 rpg. in NEC play).  Kenefick pulled down a season-high 14 rebounds in the win at Wagner on January 11.
•   Freshman Selina Monestime is averaging at 7.8 points per game, and she is also averaging 5.2 rebounds per game.
•   As a team, the Blue Devils are averaging 56.3 points per game and allowing the opposition to score an average of 67.2 points per outing.  On the glass, Central is pulling down an average of 35.1 rebounds per game; while the opposition is averaging 39.2 rebounds per contest.

UP NEXT:

•   The Blue Devils return to Detrick Gymnasium to open a three-game homestand this Saturday, January 25 when CCSU hosts LeMoyne.  Game time is set for 1:00 p.m.  On Saturday, Central will celebrate National Girls & Women in Sports Day.  Chicago State welcomes Stonehill this Saturday at 1:00 p.m. local time.