WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. ? Central Connecticut State University, which hit 55.3% from the field for the game, posted a 73-65 Northeast Conference win at Monmouth on Thursday night, in Boylan Gym.
Led by a balanced scoring attack, which saw four Blue Devils score in double-digits, CCSU improved to 8-10 on the year and 4-3 in the NEC. Monmouth, which also had four players score in double-figures, and hit 42.6% from the floor, falls to 4-14 overall and 1-5 in the league. Monmouth has now lost seven straight home conference contests.
Monmouth snared a 12-8 advantage at 14:54 when Alex Nunner drained a three-pointer off a pass from R.J. Rutledge. The Blue Devils, which tied the score at 14-14 behind a Tristan Blackwood trey from the corner, took a 17-14 edge at 12:02, when Shemik Thompson hit a trifecta from the opposite corner.
The Blue Devils then went on an 18-3 run over a seven-minute span to corral a 29-17 advantage with 5:49 remaining, as the Hawks went scoreless for 6:27.
Monmouth, which went eight minutes between field goals, pulled within five points, 33-28, with 2:05 showing, as Nunner connected on both ends of a one-and-one. CCSU's Blackwood then drilled his fourth trifecta of the half with a minute remaining to give the Blue Devils a 36-28 edge.
The Hawks, who were 9-of-10 from the foul line in the opening stanza, pulled within 36-29 when Jhamar Youngblood hit a free throw with 43.9 ticks left.
Monmouth pulled within 36-31 out of the break when Whitney Coleman hit a jumper with 18:50 showing, but CCSU reclaimed a double-digit lead, 43-33, with 17:03 left, when Ken Horton hit a corner trey.
The Blue Devils increased the advantage to 50-38 at 14:27 when Joe Seymore connected on a three-pointer from the corner, but the Hawks answered with a 9-2 run, capped by Dutch Gaitley's layup off a feed from the top of the key from Yaniv Simpson, to make the score 52-47 with 10 minutes left.
CCSU responded with a 10-2 spurt over the next 3:42 to take a 62-49 lead, before Nunner's transition three-pointer pulled Monmouth within 62-52, with 5:36 left to play.
James Hett's offensive rebound and put-back with 2:17 showing made the score 64-56, and the Hawks' point guard drove to the hoop after a CCSU turnover to pull Monmouth within 64-58 with 1:07 left.
After Horton connected on two free throws, Coleman drilled a wing trifecta with 57 seconds left to make the score 66-61.
Trailing 67-61, Coleman's three-point attempt with 47 ticks left fell short, and the Blue Devils held on for the win.
The last three meeting between CCSU and Monmouth have been decided by less that 10 points, all Blue Devil victories.
For the first time this season, Monmouth had four players score in double-figures, led by Youngblood's game-high 22 points. Nunner hit for a career-high 13 points, behind three trifectas, while Hett added a career-best 12 points, on 5-for-7 shooting. Coleman chipped in 10 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals.
Monmouth returns to action on Saturday, January 19, when the Hawks travel to St. Francis in Brooklyn Heights, N.Y., for an NEC contest at 4 p.m.
