THE BASICS:
 
RESULT: Hartford 68, Central Connecticut 58
RECORDS: Hartford (2-1); CCSU (0-2)
LOCATION: Detrick Gymnasium (New Britain, Conn.)

THE LEAD:

A dominant fourth quarter propelled the University of Hartford women's basketball team past neighboring rival Central Connecticut, 68-58, at Detrick Gymnasium on Wednesday night. With the Hawks trailing by six (56-50) in the opening minutes of the final stanza, senior Deanna Mayza fueled a commanding, 18-2 run to end the game by scoring 10 of her game-best 21 points during that decisive stretch.  

Two players scored in double-figures for the Blue Devils, led by 18 points from Aleah Epps. Andi Lydon recorded a double-double in the losing effort, finishing with 14 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, while Reynoso Gicelis chipped in with 13 rebounds and nine points.
 
Freshman Sierra DaCosta added a career highs in both points (16) and steals (4) for Hartford.

FIRST HALF:
The Hawks came out of the gates flat, missing nine of their first 10 shots to spot CCSU a 10-4 advantage with 3:49 left in the quarter. But Hartford picked up the defensive pressure, holding the Blue Devils to just one point from the free-throw line until the final moments of the quarter. During that stretch, buckets from DaCosta and Mayza pulled the Hawks within three before a three at the buzzer by Cebria Outlow pushed the Blue Devil lead back to six at 14-8.
 
Momentum shifted for the Hawks in the second quarter, as they opened the stanza with an 11-2 run, including nine-straight points, to take a 19-16 lead just two and a half minutes in. A steal in the backcourt by DaCosta led to the go-ahead bucket at the 8:03 mark to make it a 17-16 game before a putback from Alyssa Reaves 36 seconds later extended Hartford's lead to three.
 
Following a four-point spurt by the Blue Devils, another Hawks' rally, this time a 7-0 run, gave the visiting team its largest lead of the half at 26-20 with 4:33 remaining. But CCSU capitalized on a plethora of Hawks' fouls, scoring nine of their next 13 points from the charity stripe to come back and knot up the game at 33-all in the final minute. A pair of free throws from Mayza with 20 seconds left provided Hartford with the two-point edge at the break.
 
SECOND HALF:
Momentum shifted back-and-forth in the third quarter, with the Blue Devils' half-opening, 6-0 run putting the home team back in front, 39-35, within the first 116 seconds. The Hawks brought their deficit down to a point at 43-42, only to see back-to-back three-pointers from Epps and Sydney Hines extend CCSU's edge to seven. Over the final four minutes, Hartford clawed back and closed the gap down to three points.

A three-pointer by Epps pushed CCSU's lead back to six to open the fourth, but from there, the Hawks took over the remainder of the game, conceding just one more field goal Blue Devils' field goal to Epps later in the stanza. Scoring 11-unanswered points over the next four minutes in a run that was capped by five-straight points from Mayza, the Hawks jumped ahead, 61-56 with four minutes left. Following Epps' jumper, five more unanswered points by Mayza fueled a 7-0, game-ending run to seal the win for Hartford.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• DaCosta's 16-point outing marked her second double-figure scoring game in three outings, while Mayza, who's 21 points were a season-high, has registered double digits in all three games this year.
• Hartford limited its turnovers to eight, while forcing CCSU into 18. Off those Blue Devils' miscues, the Hawks scored 17 points.
• The Hawks' fourth-quarter defense was stifling, holding the Blue Devils to just five points during that stretch. The five points are the fewest conceded by Hartford in a quarter this season.
• The bench was a major contributor for the Hawks, as it combined for 27 points (DaCosta-16; Knowles-6; Douglass-3, Harrison-2) to CCSU's 11.
• For the first time this season, Hartford was outrebounded by its opponent, as CCSU held a 49-36 edge on the boards. Fifteen of the Blue Devils' points came off second-chance opportunities.
• Lydon needed just 20 minutes to record a double-double, netting 10 first-half points while pulling down 11 boards during that stretch. She was held to just four points and four rebounds in the second half.
• From the free-throw line, the Hawks shot a season-best 82.4 percent in the win.

NEWS & NOTES:

• Winners of the last three games of the series and five of the last six, Hartford improves to 22-14 against CCSU in both teams' Division I eras.
• Jess Camarda made her collegiate debut against the Blue Devils, logging three minutes.
• In addition to recording a career high in scoring, DaCosta also registered a personal-best four steals.

 
UP NEXT:
The Hawks conclude their brief road trip with a stop in Loudonville, N.Y., to face the Siena Saints on Saturday, Nov. 19, at 2 p.m. The meeting will end a 14-year hiatus in the series, which tilts in favor of the Saints at 8-0.