For Blue Devils, First Season Opener Win Since 1999-00, First Defeat of Hartford Since 1997-98
By Brittany Burke
The athletics department did as hoped by packing Detrick Gymnasium with fans clad in both blue and red for the kick off of a new women’s basketball season.
A come from behind 46-41 win for the CCSU women’s basketball team intensified the school’s rivalry with the University of Hartford as the Blue Devils walked away with its first home opening win in years.
“It always goes UConn, UHart and I think that makes a huge home opener and we haven’t won a home opener in a long time,” said Leanne Crockett. “It’s just a good feeling, last year we didn’t start off the way we wanted to and this is a good sign I think to start off the season with a win.”
CCSU didn’t start to fight back until there was two minutes remaining in the game. As time was expiring the Blue Devils were still on the losing side of a three-point deficit, following a shot made from inside the paint by Gabriel Oglesby.
“You keep saying that eventually the shots are gonna fall, eventually the shots are going to fall and I think when Gabby Oglesby hit that three it was a huge basket for us just to sort of relax and feel we could do it, and for us I think in the end the experience played a part of it,” said Head Coach Beryl Piper. “Our seniors really came through in the end for us and I think that made a difference for us in the end of the game.”
The points from Oglesby swung the momentum in the Blue Devils’ favor. From there CCSU managed to score an additional eight points to win the game.
Two points from Kerrianne Dugan with 1:18 left to play put the Blue Devils in the lead by one, which increased when freshman point guard Jessica Babe made a three-pointer from inside the paint with 40 seconds left in the game.
Babe had a big opening night despite only going 1-for-5. She put up the shot when it counted and worked the court to find her place amongst the veterans.
“A lot of teams we’ve had in the past would usually crumble after we’re down and can’t fight it back but Jess, freshman point guard, showed a lot of leadership and maturity too,” said Crockett. “I think as a freshman and having the point to end the game so that was a good sign too, that we could go to our freshmen and our senior point guard. That’s what I take from it, it shows a lot about our team’s character.”
The returning players came back with vengeance with their sights set on a first career season-opening win.
Crockett led the team in rebounds with 13 and was second in points alongside Oglesby with eight. Last season Crockett proved she had the three-point shot and that talent is already coming through as she led the team, sinking two for seven.
Justina Udenze ended the night with a double-double consisting of 12 rebounds and 13 points, leading the Blue Devils.
“I guess tonight was just an indication of first game jitters. I think for both teams at times it was pretty ugly. Offensively both teams struggled scoring and I think a lot of that has to do with nerves in the first game and it’s a big game and a big crowd and a lot of excitement. I was really proud of our kids I think that their defenisve intensity at times was unbelievable and I think in the first half we did a phenomenal job defending them,” said Piper.
The Hartford Hawks were able to expose some of the Blue Devils’ weaknesses, which will need to be worked out before NEC play picks up. CCSU shot only 30 percent and went 27 percent in three-pointers, with the Hawks putting up a worse performance going 23 and 16 percent respectively.
CCSU needs to work on finishing inside the paint as well as carrying through on free throws. Hartford was 80 percent at the line while CCSU scraped by with 44 percent.
The Blue Devils will seek revenge against Brown Wednesday night after a buzzer loss at Brown in their last meeting.