Women's Basketball Drops Opener At Bryant

The Central Connecticut women's basketball team dropped its season opener, falling 71-50 to host Bryant Monday evening in Smithfield, RI.

The Blue Devils were 9-17 from the field in the opening period, leading by as many as a dozen points in the first quarter. Central led 35-28 at the Break and trailed by one after three, but the Bulldogs hit 10-12 from the field, including 5-5 from behind the arc to take control of the game.

Lucia Noin led all scorers on the night tallying 18 points, on 7-16 shooting. Kayla Henry led the team with six rebounds, and Ciera Person added two assists and two steals to go along with her five points.

CCSU finished the game shooting 16-51 from the field and were 5-8 from behind the arc on Monday night. Bryant was good on 55.6 percent of its field goal attempts, 25-45, hitting 8-17 from downtown

GAME INFORMATION | BOX SCORE
Score:  Bryant 71, CCSU 50
Records: CCSU 0-1; Bryant 1-0
Location: Chace Athletic Center | Smithfield, RI

KEY MOMENTS

• Bryant scored the opening basket after winning the opening tip. Noin scored on the next possession, 43 seconds into the game to start a 7-0 Blue Devil run that put the Blue Devils in front 9-2. The run continued through the midway point of the opening court as was capped by three-point field goals by Kiyah Lewis, opening a 16-4 lead with 5:23 to play in the first quarter.
• Bryant rallied to within two points by scoring 12 consecutive points over a 2:04 stretch to get withing 16-14 with 2:51 to play in the first quarter. The Blue Devils responded to outscore Bryant 8-2 over the final 2:31 of the period to end with a 24-16 advantage.
• Noin opened the scoring in the second period 47 ticks into the quarter and six minutes later knocked down a three-pointer to give CCSU an 11-point, 33-22, edge with 3:38 remaining before intermission. That was the margin with 2:02 to play with Lewis making a pair of free throws. Bryant converted 4-4 from the line in the final 94 seconds of the half to go to the locker room trailing 35-28.
• Central made one field goal over the first seven minutes of the third quarter as the Bulldogs outscored CCSU 14-3 to take the lead with 2:55 left in the quarter. Noin converted a conventional three-point play on the ensuing possession for a 41-39 advantage. CCSU would maintain a tie or lead over the ensuing 2:00 of play, but Bryant's Mia Mancini drained a three-pointer with 23 seconds left to put the Bulldogs on top 46-45 entering the fourth quarter.
• Bryant shot 83.3 percent from the field in the final period, with 5-5 from behind the arc, as the Blue Devils went 0-10 and found all their points at the free throw line, 5-6.

NUMBER TO KNOW

9 – Central finished with nine steals, with four players recording two apiece.

NOTES

• Noin scored 18 points, just shy of the career-high 20 she scored last season versus Bridgeport
• Lewis scored nine points, with 2-2 from behind the arc, and had two steals, as well as the only two blocks of the game
• Central was 13-17 from the free throw line on Monday
• The Blue Devils had five assists, while Bryant handed out 19 assists on 25 baskets

UP NEXT

• Central returns to action a week from tonight, playing at Providence in a 7:00 pm road game, back in Rhode Island.