By Christopher McLaughlin
Showing off its size and depth, the CCSU women’s basketball team picked up its fourth straight win by defeating Wagner 65-52.
The Blue Devils (12-7) took it to Wagner (9-11) all game, outscoring them 30-12 in the paint. Justina Udenze and Kirsten Daamen combined for 20 points as Wagner had no answer for them. CCSU also got 24 points off the bench, displaying the depth that Head Coach Beryl Piper has been talking about all year.
“Right from the start we were able to get the ball into the post. They had a difficult job stopping them, and it proved to be a big difference in the game,” said Piper.
The first half was close throughout as neither team was able to gain any kind of ground. Both teams were evenly matched in almost everything during the opening half. The play of Udenze and Daamen was what separated the two teams. Wagner had nobody who could match up to either player and it became the pressure release valve for CCSU. Despite having the leading scorer Wagner didn’t have the well rounded performance necessary to match the Blue Devils. Marie Archambault had 12 for Wagner, but no one else on the roster was close to that. CCSU was led by Udenze with seven in the first half, but got contributions from several other players. The half closed with CCSU on top 28-25.
“Our kids are understanding their roles better and know what they are supposed to do,” said Piper. “We get different kids stepping up which really helps our cause.”
While the first was closely contested, the second half saw CCSU start to pull away. The Blue Devils continued to feed Udenze and Daamen down low which forced Wagner to send extra help. This began to open things up for the rest of the team allowing them to get into a rhythm. Alexzandria Dowdy came alive in the second half and finished with 14 points.
With Leanne Crockett in foul trouble, the Blue Devils went small in the second half. Udenze and Daamen still had their way, but Piper inserted Jessica Babe into the lineup for much of the half. Babe is normally the backup to Dowdy, but for the majority of the second half they played together. The added quickness helped the Blue Devils cut down on the penetration at the other end and took Wagner out of its game. CCSU never lost the lead in the second half as it continued to get contributions from every player.
“Wagner is a difficult team to play, but we were able to get the job done in the second half,” said Piper. “What we were able to do in the second half is a testament to this team’s toughness and really shows they want to win.”
After falling to 0-3 in conference play the Blue Devils have gone 5-1 and are creeping back up in the standings. Currently CCSU is in sixth place, but only one game out of the NEC tournament with the log jam at fourth.
“After going 0-3 we had a players only meeting,” said Udenze. “We feel like we are more together now than ever. We know we have tough games in Robert Morris and St. Francis coming up, but we feel good about them.”