Women's Hoops Falls to RMU, 86-72
Four Blue Devils finished the game with double-digit point totals.
The Central Connecticut women's basketball team fell to Robert Morris on Satruday afternoon. The 86-72 setback drops the Blue Devils to 0-3 in Northeast Conference play. For the first time this season, four Blue Devil players finished the game with double-digit points.
The Blue Devils (6-8, 0-3 NEC) scored the first four points of the game and built an early 9-3 lead. Robert Morris climbed back and took the lead for the first time on a three pointer with 13:38 left in the half.
The Colonials (9-5, 3-0 NEC) quickly increased their lead to 23-12 with 9:27 left in the period. Robert Morris had used a 20-3 run to build their first half lead, but Central countered by outscoring the Colonials 25-11 over a nine minute stretch to close out the half.
Freshman Kaley Watras scored four of her six first half points in the final minute to give the Blue Devils a 37-34 lead at the break. Jumpers by sophomore Lauren Arbogast and junior Kirsten Daamen also helped swing the advantage to the Blue Devils before the half.
Daamen led the Blue Devils with 10 points and four rebounds in the period. Daamen was 4-of-7 from the floor and as a team Central shot 48.5% in the first.
Robert Morris scored the first seven points of the second period. Layups from Daamen and Watras helped the Blue Devils keep pace with the Colonials over the five minutes, but Robert Morris pulled away in the middle of the half.
Six points from junior Brooke Bailey and a pair of free throws by sophomore Jaleen Thomas kept Central in the game.
Trailing 71-51 with 6:25 remaining, the Blue Devils were able to cut the deficit to 11 points on three occasions. The last coming on a three by junior Jaclyn Babe with just over a minute left in the game.
Jaclyn and sophomore Jessica Babe both finished with 12 points, Bailey had 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting and 5-of-6 from the free throw line and Daamen finished with 14 points.
Watras and Jessica Babe both finished with a game-high four assists.
Eight Blue Devils grabbed multiple rebounds, led by Watras and Thomas with six apiece.
The Blue Devils return to action on Monday night against St. Francis (PA). That game will tip-off at 7 p.m. from Detrick Gym.
_release.jpg?max_width=576&max_height=324&crop=true)
