Despite heartbreaking end, CCSU finds solace in its growth

By Pete Janny (@pete_janny)

Nothing could have prepared Central Connecticut for the sudden gut punch that hit the program Saturday afternoon on their home court.

The Blue Devils failed to beat Wagner for a third time, and paid the price with a season-ending 66-56 loss to the sixth-seed Seahawks, who improved to 5-0 all-time vs. CCSU in the NEC Tournament.

Entering Saturday’s semifinal, CCSU’s chances of returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007 looked promising, and were fortified by a 19-10 regular season record which produced a 13-3 finish in NEC play. The Blue Devils’ core of Kellen Amos, Tre Breland, Allan Jeanne-Rose, and Jordan Jones had formed a physically imposing matchup advantage in most games they played in. Even in the face of defeat to a resilient seven-man Wagner unit, CCSU accomplished something far bigger this season than restoring a standard of respectability fueled by more wins than losses.

“Being an alum here and having those expectations is what comes with the job,” said head coach Patrick Sellers, who played at CCSU from 1987-1991. “I was here as an assistant. Every year, we were one of the top teams. (Getting) 20-plus wins, NCAA Tournament, and winning the conference tournament was the goal and that is what we said when we got the job here.”

The reawakening of the CCSU fan base was clearly on display over the course of the short-lived two-game tournament run that started with a hard-fought 71-62 win over Saint Francis on Wednesday night before getting stopped in its tracks by the surgical Wagner defense Saturday. The pace of the game didn’t play into CCSU’s favor and the residual effect of it extended to its three-point shooting. The Blue Devils shot 5-for-26 from three-point range, and could never fully weather the storm that saw them go down seven points in the first half before tying the game at 39 at the 8:35 mark of the second half. 

Wagner’s Melvin Council was called for his fourth foul at the 17:08 mark of the second half and sat for 10 minutes, but CCSU couldn’t capitalize much during that stretch, and ultimately Wagner found another gear late.

When it mattered most, Wagner was better on both sides of the ball, taking the Blue Devils out of their comfort zone offensively with their zone defense. After the game, Sellers spoke as if this one got away from his team, but knew the scrappiness of Wagner and the challenges posed by it zone was a credit to the Seahawks.

“Their zone defense really bothered us,” Sellers said. “We had some open looks that didn’t go down for us today, but I gotta give all the credit to Wagner and Coach (Donald) Copeland and his staff for the job they did.”

CCSU also had to deal with Julian Brown, the latest Wagner player to help keep the Seahawks’ season alive. Tahron Allen took his swipe at Sacred Heart in the quarterfinals, but was held in check with 11 points on 3-of-11 shooting at CCSU, thus paving the way for Brown and his 20 points. Only a sophomore, Brown is one of the core pieces of Wagner’s youth movement, which contrasts the more experienced mold of CCSU.

The good news for the Sellers and CCSU is that Jones plans on returning next season. Jones, who averaged 13 points per game, wasn’t in his best form either but still managed 20 points on 5-of-15 shooting, albeit some makes coming in garbage time. Jones, with his head held high, took a classy approach to how he viewed the game. 

“We had good open looks but they just didn’t fall tonight,” Jones said. “We can’t be mad at gravity.”

Jones played three seasons at little-known Coker University before getting recruited by Sellers. That has been one of a few good bets that have worked out for CCSU.

“It’s just a perfect situation for me personally,” Jones said. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.This is just a good environment for a player to thrive, with a coach who trusts you and teammates who trust you.”

Sellers has rebuilt CCSU to a level it hasn’t been at in 15 years by approaching this as a labor of love rather than a burden. It’s becoming more and more clear that more prosperous days are on the horizon in New Britain, marking a stunning progression of something that not too long ago felt like a delusion, and was trapped in the doldrums with records of 8-22 and 10-24 in Sellers’ first two seasons.

“We fell short of our goal. We won the regular season, didn’t get to the conference tournament. Now we roll up our sleeves and get back to work and try to do the same thing because that’s the standard at Central Connecticut and that’s what it’s going to be so we just have to embrace it.”