Smith’s career-high 40 propel CCSU to third straight win

By Connor Wilson (@Conman_815)

WEST HAVEN, Conn. — Whatever Darin Smith, Jr. ate for breakfast on February 1, can I get some of what he had?

The Central Connecticut forward closed the month of January with his worst five-game scoring slump of the season during a stretch where the Blue Devils dropped four of five. That being said, he still put up a respectable 12.3 points per game to close the month, but that was far from what he had proven he was capable of during the non-conference and early NEC slate.

In three games since the calendar turned to February, including Thursday’s 81-76 win on the road over New Haven, Smith has averaged 29.7 points per game, headlined by a career-high 40 against the Chargers at the Hazell Center.

“I wake up every day on game day just ready to go and win the game,” Smith said. “This game was just a little different.”

Smith’s recent outburst has, not by coincidence, been mirrored by three CCSU victories. The Blue Devils are certainly much more than just the redshirt sophomore on the offensive end, but having him at his best has seen the team near its best.

“He was in such a groove and a rhythm, we were just calling his number, and after a while, players were just looking for him,” head coach Patrick Sellers said. “Kudos to him, he’s in the gym constantly and nonstop. Tonight, he didn’t feel great, and still ended up with 40 points.”

Hit with the obstacle of having Swiss army knife wing James Jones out with an illness, Sellers counted on Smith even more on the defensive end. Smith felt that same added weight on his shoulder to be a leader on the defensive end, and delivered.

“Overall, for sure, James is a big part of our defense and we had to do a good job in his absence,” Smith said.

Smith scored 18 of his 40 points in the first half, setting the tone early with a quick seven. Since he’s rejuvenated his scoring, quick starts have been a common trend. Jay Rodgers added nine in the first half with some impressive drives to the rim, while reigning NEC Rookie of the Week Roddy Jones knocked down a pair of threes.

What’s more impressive is the defensive job the CCSU bigs did on New Haven big man Andre Pasha in the first half, holding him to a mediocre 2-for-12 from the field in the first 20 minutes.

“In the first half, Jayden Mott, Daniel James and Max (Frazier) did a good job getting their chest into him and making him turn, getting him off balance,” Sellers said.

If you thought the efficiency that Smith had in the first half was impressive, he started the second half with 14 points in just over six minutes before heading to the bench for a breather. During his less than three minutes on the pine, New Haven went on a 8-0 run to trim a 15-point deficit down to seven at 58-51.

When Smith re-entered? An immediate 7-0 run to get the lead back into double digits, headlined by a near logo-triple from Jones, his fourth of the game.

“When we recruited him, I saw him play against Jalen Duren on the Pistons and teams like that, and Roddy would come in the game and bang threes from right inside the NBA line,” Sellers said. “What we’ve been working on with him is his defense, and it's getting better and better.”

New Haven would continue to stick around, getting it as close as four in the final minute, but some timely free throws and a key offensive rebound by rookie Elijah Parker was the difference. At the 1:40 mark, Smith connected on his, at this point, signature turn-around jumper from 12 feet away to hit the 40-point milestone, the first time he’s hit that number in any organized basketball game.

“Darin Smith is very unique because he can get to 15 or 17 (feet from the basket) and, for most players, that’s a bad shot, but for him, it's a great shot,” New Haven head coach Ted Hotaling said. “Sometimes there’s nothing you can do about that.”

For housekeeping, Smith had the first 40-point game for Central Connecticut since Kyle Vinales had 42 at Wagner on February 14, 2013, nearly 13 years to the day.

The win puts CCSU up to 8-5 in the NEC season, tied for second place with Le Moyne, whom the Blue Devils host in a crucial clash on Thursday. Up next for Central is a road trip to Hackensack for a game against FDU on Saturday.

As for the Chargers, their third straight loss drops them to 5-7 in the league. With them not being eligible this year for the NEC Tournament, New Haven only has six games left in its inaugural season at the Division I level, next hosting conference leader LIU on Saturday.