Sims scored a game-high 26 points for the Skyhawks in today's triple-OT thriller (PHOTO BY Ryan Feeney) |
Rodgers leads Blue Devils with 24 points, including key basket in triple OT to help clinch fourth-straight win
NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (February 18, 2023) – Central Connecticut State University captured a fourth-straight win with a 94-90 triple-overtime triumph over Stonehill College in Northeast Conference men's basketball action at Detrick Gymnasium this afternoon.
Junior Jay Rodgers led five from Central Connecticut State in double-figures with 24 points, including 17 in the first half, on 8-of-15 shooting, with three assists, while classmate Kellen Amos added 12 points, including nine over the three overtime sessions, with six rebounds and two assists. Sophomores Jayden Brown and DaVonte Sweatman each contributed double-figures off the bench for the Blue Devils, with Brown netting 12 points and Sweatman 11 points, four assists and three boards. Senior Nigel Scantlebury rounded out CCSU's double-figure scorers with ten points, six rebounds and six assists, while sophomore Andre Snoddy hauled in a game-high 15 rebounds.
Fifth-year Andrew Sims paced four from Stonehill in double-figures with a game-high 26 points, converting all eight free-throws, with seven rebounds and three assists. Postgrad Max Zegarowski posted his second double-double of the season (fifth career) with 15 points and a team-high 11 rebounds, while fifth-year Josh Mack matched his season-high with 16 points off the bench, including 14 on 4-of-5 shooting (3-for-3 from three) in the first half, three steals, two assists and two boards. Fifth-year Isaiah Burnett chipped in 11 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Zegarowski posted his second double-double of the season with 15 points and a season-high 11 rebounds (PHOTO BY Brian Foley) |
Stonehill held a four-point lead at the half behind Mack's 14 points and then stretched its advantage to eight (46-38) after a Zegarowski layup four and a half minutes into the second half. CCSU followed with a 20-4 run over the next seven minutes to reverse the eight-point lead (58-50) after four-straight from Brown, while Scantlebury and Sweatman sparked the run with three-pointers and each finished with eight points during that stretch.
Stonehill still trailed by seven (66-59) after a triple from sophomore Joe Ostrowsky with five minutes left. The Skyhawks rallied with ten-straight from four different scorers to grab a three-point lead (69-66) after a Zegarowski layup with 1:16 to go. Sweatman converted a three-point play to pull CCSU even with 53-seconds remaining and neither team was able to add another basket to send the game into overtime.
Amos opened the overtime with a three-pointer and Central played in front for the entire session until Mack forced a second extra period with a driving layup with 27-seconds on the clock. Sims pushed Stonehill in front with a jumper 45-seconds into the second overtime and the teams traded baskets with Amos forcing a deadlock with a layup with 31-seconds left. The Skyhawks had two shots to pull out the win, and then Mack had a key block to send the game to a third overtime.
Snoddy scored the first basket of triple overtime, but Burnett pushed Stonehill in front (87-86) with a three-point play with 2:33 left. Rodgers scored the next four points to push Central in front by three (90-87) and then after Sims scored inside, Scantlebury answered with a jumper to restore the three-point cushion with 18-seconds on the clock. The Blue Devils committed a foul on a Stonehill three-point attempt, but the first two were off the mark and CCSU sealed the win with a dunk at the other end.
Noteworthy
- Stonehill dips a half game behind Merrimack College (10-4) atop the NEC standings. The Skyhawks (10-5) have just one game remaining, while the Warriors and Fairleigh Dickinson (9-5) both have two to play in the race to the regular season title.
- Stonehill will need a win in its final NEC game at Wagner College on Thursday and a loss by Merrimack in one of its last two (vs. CCSU, Thu./at LIU, Sat.) to clinch at least a share of the NEC regular season title.
- Sims posted his team-leading ninth 20-point game of the season (17th career) and the 18th by a Stonehill player this season overall.
- Zegarowski leads the Skyhawks with his two double-doubles this season, giving him five over his career.
- Burnett has multiple steals in 11-straight games and 26 of Stonehill's 30 games overall, having recorded at least one steal in all 30 and 36-straight games dating back to last season. His 87 steals this season leads the country and is – five shy of cracking the NEC's all-time top ten.
Up Next
Stonehill (14-16, 10-5 NEC) returns to action on Thursday, when it concludes its inaugural NCAA Division I season at Wagner College for an NEC matchup at 7 p.m. CCSU (10-19, 7-7 NEC) visits Merrimack College on Thursday at 7 p.m.
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.
