by Dillon Meehan
Coming off an impressive performance in their tuneup game against Mitchell College, the Central Connecticut Men’s Basketball team dropped their season opener Friday night against the University of Hartford Hawks 92-83, in double overtime.
The game was the third and final act of the Connecticut 6 Classic, an annual event that showcases CCSU, Fairfield University, Hartford, Quinnipiac University, Sacred Heart University and Yale University.
With Matt Mobley now playing for St. Bonaventure, Khalen Cumberlander appeared to now be the focal point of the Blue Devils’ offense. The junior from Washington, D.C. finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, all while playing 49 of a possible 50 minutes. Cumberlander was two assists shy of becoming the first Northeast Conference player to have a triple-double since 2010.
Mustafa Jones once again showed his improvement, leading the Blue Devils in scoring last week during the exhibition opener. The sophomore made six of his seven shots, scoring 13 points and grabbing five rebounds. The lone senior Brandon Peel continued to show his consistency, despite being limited in regulation due to foul trouble, Peel had 15 points and 10 rebounds, his first of many double-doubles. The senior also finished with five blocks.
Hartford’s Taylor Dyson led the team in scoring, the senior finished with 17 points and five rebounds. Including the game stealing offensive rebound in the final minute of the second overtime.
“Coming in I thought I had to step up a lot more than I actually have,” said Dyson of his performance. “Our freshman have come in and been really competitive, and they’ve actually pushed me to another level too. I feel they kinda help me out as much as I can help them out.”
The Blue Devils held a 31-30 lead at the end of the first half, they grabbed the lead after holding the Hawks without a field goal for the final 4:17 of the half. In total, Hartford only shot 35.7 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes.
However, the second half was a different story. The Hawks started the final 20 minutes strong, outscoring the Blue Devils 20-6.
Down 50-37 midway through the second half, Cumberlander began to take over the game. The junior made two three-pointers on back to back possessions, then assisted on five of the next nine baskets for the Blue Devils.
The game was sent into its first overtime when Blue Devils freshman Jahlil Nails caught an inbound pass from Cumberlander, then made a fade-away three from the right corner with 11.2 seconds left to play in regulation. It was a solid performance for the freshman, who finished with 11 points, while shooting 3-8 from behind the arch.
The Blue Devils had an opportunity to win the game at the end of the first overtime, but Cumberlanders step-back jumper was just a hair too long.
In the second overtime, Hartford got off to an early 84-80 lead when Jalen Ross and Justin Graham both made layups. The Blue Devils were able to cut the lead to one, but held scoreless for the final two minutes of overtime. Hartford made eight consecutive foul shots to seal the victory.
Blue Devil fans can see CCSU take on Binghamton next week on Tuesday, Nov. 24th at 7 p.m.