Women's Basketball Tips Season at Bryant
The Central Connecticut State women's basketball team tips off the 2025-26 season on Monday night. The Blue Devils travel to Bryant for a 6:00 p.m. matchup. The former conference rivals will be meeting for the first time since Nov. 12, 2024.
CCSU Game Notes | ESPN+ | Live Stats
STARTING FIVE
• Lucia Noin is CCSU's top returning scorer. She started four games, averaged 5.5 ppg and scored double-figures in six games, including a career-high 20 (10-15 fg) vs. Bridgeport.
• Central Connecticut has not won a season-opener since the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season when it topped St. Francis Brooklyn, 87-72. CCSU has not started 2-0 since 2012-13.
• CCSU will be opening the season with back-to-back road games for the third time in four seasons. Central has started 0-2 in each season.
• The Blue Devils finished 3rd in the the NEC last season, their best finish since tying for the regular-season title in the 2014-15 season.
• Central averaged 67.4 points per game in league play, which ranked second on the circuit. However, CCSU will need to replace over 89% of minutes played from last season's team, while also replacing its top six scorers and top four rebounders.
On the Run ...
• After stepping in for the final 15 games of the 2024-25 season as acting coach, Kristin Caruso leads CCSU in her first season. She has previously been head coach at Marist and Longwood. She has been an assistant at Hartford and UConn, going to the NCAA Tournament at both schools. She played under Geno Auriemma from 1986-90, helping UConn to the Final Four and scoring 1,244 career points.
2025-26 NEC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
1. FDU (unanimous)
2. Stonehill
3. Chicago State
4. Le Moyne
5. CCSU
6. Mercyhurst
7. Wagner
8. LIU
9. New Haven
10. Saint Francis
2025-26 Preseason All-NEC Women's Basketball Team
Eli Clark, LEM, So, G, 5-8, Oakhurst, NJ/Ocean Township
Aiyanna Culver, CSU (unanimous), So, G, 5-3, Queens, NY/Christ the King
Brooke Paquette, STO (unanimous), Jr. G, 5-8, Hudson, NH/Bishop Guertin
Ava Renninger, FDU (unanimous), So, G, 5-6, Yardley, PA/Archbishop Wood
Jenna Van Schaik, MU, Sr, G, 5-7, Cincinnati, OH/Ursuline Academy
