The Central Connecticut State Blue Devils faced an early exit from the Northeast Conference playoffs, losing at home against the No. 7 seed Wagner Seahawks, 70-60.
Detrick Gymnasium was packed with Blue Devil pride, as fans brought the energy in Central’s home quarterfinal matchup.
Wagner headed into the game with an 8-10 record in the NEC, while the Blue Devils held a strong 12-6 record against NEC opponents.
The last time the two faced off, Central came out on top in a dominant 84-67 win against the visiting side. However, fortunes can change in the postseason.
The opening stages of the game saw a frantic start for both teams as they were feeling each other out on both sides of the ball.
Central started the game strong defensively, resilient in the paint and on the perimeter.
It was NEC Player of the Year Darin Smith Jr. who was the head of the snake on the offense for the Blue Devils, and he started his incredible run in both halves with his aggressive, high-intensity brand of offensive basketball.
The Seahawks slowly found their rhythm in the game, as they were playing through guard Nick Jones, who dictated the play and looked to find big man Binael Basil, who was a presence on both ends of the floor.
All-Conference second-team Jay Rodgers looked to take matters into his own hands, with his intricate playmaking, shotmaking and court awareness to get the Blue Devils into the lead and lift the crowd.
He saw limited minutes due to a slight knock, which CCSU head coach Patrick Sellers said is expected to be nothing too serious.
“We finished the half off with a four-point lead, with Jay out there, and he still didn’t look great,” Sellers said.
Rodgers checked out of the game with 12:54 left in the second half and never returned to the game.
“You knew something was wrong. I don’t think it is anything torn,” Sellers said. “Something happened and we didn’t have him for the rest of the half.”
A tight-knit encounter with very few lead changes, the closing stages of the first half saw both teams grow in confidence as they found ways to score.
Wagner guard John Awoke managed to get some momentum with some big makes from the perimeter, a rhythm that he carried into the second half.
Speaking postgame, the Seahawks guard spoke about how connected he and his teammates were to come through with the all-important win.
“It’s a brotherhood,“ Awoke said. “Since the summer, everyone has been locked in. When somebody has their night, everybody is happy for them. It’s everybody just getting a piece.”
As the second half began, both Central and Wagner struggled to find their rhythm, with Wagner landing the first blows and taking a three-point lead.
The Blue Devils looked to adjust their game, introducing the likes of Elijah Parker and Ashton Reynolds, who aimed to add some offensive flair for the home team.
Jones and Awoke found themselves as the catalysts for Wagner’s success in the second half, with Awoke hitting some crowd-silencing shots as the game progressed.
As an enthusiastic Detrick Gymnasium looked to bring the energy on the floor, Central tried to find ways to get back into the game, with Smith carrying the load on offense.
A few missed opportunities by the Blue Devils saw the Seahawks capitalize on their mistakes and takes as interim head coach Dwan McMillan saw his side extend their lead in the closing stages of the game.
The buzzer sounded in New Britain as Central fell short, as the visitors took down the No. 2 seed in style.
Disappointed by the loss but proud of his team’s season, Smith looked at how he’s grown over the season.
“Being able to read the game, playing as hard as I can. The outcome’s the outcome,” Smith said.
Although the team didn’t reach the success they were hoping for, he was still happy with what they accomplished overall.
“It’s been a positive year, new guys, new faces. I’m happy with the season we had,” he said.
Postgame, Sellers made it clear that the team can take away a lot of positives from this season and has taken steps in the right direction.
“You got to give these guys a lot of credit. There’s a lot that we accomplished as a group,” he said.
He added that he has no doubt in his mind that his team will be competing for an NEC championship next season.
“We got to be proud of it. We are going to tinker and figure out what we got, and we’ll be right back at it next year,” he said.
