After losing its previous two matches, the Central Connecticut State University women’s basketball team bounced back with a 67-50 win against the Le Moyne College Dolphins on Saturday afternoon at Detrick Gymnasium. The victory improved the Blue Devils’ record to 5-15 overall on the season and 4-3 in conference play. 

Central came into Saturday’s game off the back of an 84-77 loss to Chicago State University in Chicago on Thursday, marking their second defeat in a row. Le Moyne, on the other hand, was coming into the contest having won their previous two games. Both teams looked at this conference matchup as a prime spot to turn their seasons around, as a loss for the Blue Devils would see them fall below. 

The Blue Devils outlasted the Dolphins through 40 minutes via offensive efficiency and consistency as well as a lack of mistakes. Central outscored Le Moyne in every quarter and led the entire game from the start. 

The Blue Devils started the contest hot, building a 10-0 lead in just the first few minutes of the first quarter, thanks to a couple of back-to-back 3-pointers by freshmen guard Dagny Slomack. However, Le Moyne would go on a 12-3 run during the rest of the quarter, cutting Central’s lead to one at 13-12 going into the second period. 

Both teams traded buckets to begin the second quarter until a layup by graduate guard Belle Lanpher unleashed an 8-0 run by the Blue Devils, pushing their lead up to 11 at 27-16 with 2:51 left in the half. The Dolphins tried to cut into Central’s lead before halftime, but still found themselves down eight at 30-22 going into the break. 

Lanpher led all scorers in the first half with 13 points, followed by Slomack and graduate forward Meghan Kenefick who chipped in 6 points apiece. Kenefick scored all of her points in the second quarter. 

Upon the resumption of play, the Dolphins mounted a comeback, trimming the Blue Devils’ lead to four at 36-32 with 5:49 left in the third quarter, forcing Central to call a timeout. Le Moyne would end the quarter only down five at 43-38. The third quarter was the only period of the game where the Dolphins outscored the Blue Devils, scoring 16 points to Central’s 13, and giving them a fighting chance going into the final 10 minutes.  

Despite their impressive third-quarter performance, a 13-3 Central surge demolished any hopes of a Le Moyne comeback. Lanpher made a pair of free throws with 59 seconds left to give the Blue Devils a 19-point lead, their largest lead of the game, at 67-48. The Dolphins would make two free throws to round out the final score at 67-50.  

The Central victory was highlighted by a high-scoring offense, with four players scoring in the double-digits during the game. Lanpher led the way with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists while going 7-7 from the free throw line. Senior guard Amaya Williams had 13 points, Kenefick had 12 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists and Slomack had 12 points and 5 rebounds.

Lanpher said that a well-balanced offense such as the one they displayed against Le Moyne is the key to future success for the Blue Devils.  

“I think we played really well as a team,” Lanpher said. “Having 4 people in double figures is really, really good for us, and that’s how we’re going to end up winning games.” 

Central Head Coach Kristin Caruso said that she was happy to see all of her players end the game with a positive plus-minus. 

“Everybody was in the plus category,” Caruso said.

Another key factor in the Blue Devils’ win was their ability to capitalize on Le Moyne’s mistakes. The Dolphins committed 15 turnovers to Central’s eight, with the Blue Devils scoring 14 points off those turnovers. Adding to Le Moyne’s struggles, they allowed Central to dominate at the foul line, where the Blue Devils went 17-of-21 to the Dolphins 7-of-7. 

Regarding the disparity between the two teams in terms of turnovers and fouls committed, Caruso agreed that they affected the way the game was played.  

“We get a lot more shots and we don’t have to play as much defense,” Caruso said. “We’ve been offensive rebounding a lot more.”

By the end of the match, Central out-rebounded Le Moyne 40-28 with 15 of those coming on the offensive glass, allowing the Blue Devils to score 15 second-chance points. 

Caruso added that she was proud of the way her team performed, surpassing the goals they had set out for themselves before the game. 

“Our goal was to win by ten,” Caruso said. “They played close to a perfect game…I couldn’t be happier for them. They’ve worked really, really hard, and their mentality has been great.” 

The Blue Devils will stay in New Britain for their next game against the 5-2 Stonehill College Skyhawks on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 1 p.m.