SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Every team has at least one team that is a bad matchup for one reason or another. For Central Connecticut, one of them would seem to be Bryant, a relentless offensive team that is tough enough to beat as it is and even tougher if they get some defensive stops. That was in evidence in the Blue Devils’ 88-67 loss to the Bulldogs on Thursday night, especially in the second half as Bryant broke open what was a close game for some of the first half and showed the growing pains this Central Connecticut team has had.
Central Connecticut has just one senior to go with four freshmen and a junior college transfer. Last season’s team had three seniors, all very experienced, along with a junior, so while last year’s team also had some youth they had more veterans to carry them. Head coach Howie Dickenmann is now starting three underclassmen and is bringing the one senior, Joe Efese, off the bench. How long he will stick with that lineup remains to be seen, but to a degree Tuesday night is an aberration because they struggled against a hot offensive team. The Bulldogs shot over 53 percent from the field on the evening.
This Blue Devil team isn’t up to the level of prior teams at the defensive end, where Dickenmann’s teams have often made their mark. They have allowed less than 70 points just six times on the season and opponents are shooting a healthy 46 percent from the field against them on the season. Thursday night was the 12th time an opponent scored at least 80 points. Last season’s team allowed 80 or more points seven times all season.
“A lot of sleepless nights,” Dickenmann said. “I don’t have any answers right now defensively. We’re just not playing well defensively.”
What was probably most frustrating for Dickenmann on Thursday is that the Blue Devils actually guarded the three-point line well, an area that has been problematic in Northeast Conference play as opponents were shooting over 39 percent from behind the arc in those games. Bryant was just 5-21 from long range on the evening. Instead, the Bulldogs often score close to the hoop, evidenced by their 44-26 edge in points in the paint.
“We did a good job defending the three, but they shot almost 70 percent inside the arc,” Dickenmann said. “They got too many easy baskets.”
That defense has been needed because the offense has managed to make up for some key personnel losses, notably the school’s all-time leading scorer in Ken Horton and their tenth all-time leading scorer in Robbie Ptacek. There is already some scoring punch in sophomore Kyle Vinales, who has already scored over 1,000 career points, and junior college transfer Matt Hunter has produced, but they have had help. This team has better scoring and shooting numbers than last year’s team, and at times they have needed it as they are 6-2 when scoring at least 80 points. In all eight of those games, they have allowed at least 70 points, so they had to win with offense.
Dickenmann sees how the two have inter-played, and that hasn’t helped given the results.
“Our offense is fair, but when we play good defense, we have good offense,” said Dickenmann. “It’s like an inspirational thing, we get some stops, we come down and take good shots and make shots, we’re more aggressive.”
Vinales is now the target of opposing defenses after he was something of a complementary piece to Horton last season, but he has managed to adjust well. He is shooting better than he did last season, so he’s not scoring just off shooting volume, although that can happen. He had 18 points on 6-20 shooting Thursday night, but that hasn’t been the norm. Vinales is a competitor and not only have individual success last season, but also got a taste of team success. He can put a little too much pressure on himself at times with his desire to win.
“He’s got a target on his back,” Dickenmann said of Vinales. “He wants to win so badly, he’s a competitor, a good kid, and he sometimes gets upset with himself because he’s not making shots. When he’s making shots, he’s all juiced up, like anybody else quite frankly.”
The one good thing Dickenmann has had with all the newness on this team is relative consistency in the starting lineup. He has only had to use three starting lineups, aided by hanging his hat on Vinales, McMillan and Hunter every night. The lineup he went with on Thursday night is one he has used the last three games, and they’re 0-3 thus far. He hasn’t had to shuttle guys into and out of the starting lineup, aided by this team having a good year from a health standpoint.
Central Connecticut is right on the border of the Northeast Conference Tournament with four games left. After Thursday night’s games, they are a half game back (even in the loss column) of eighth-place St. Francis Brooklyn. The Blue Devils haven’t missed the tournament since their first year of membership, and although the last three are all at home making this tournament will be tough. They have a 4-5 record in Detrick Gym this season and also have to face red-hot Quinnipiac and NEC leader Robert Morris along the way.
It’s pretty clear that some defensive improvement is a must if the Blue Devils are to make the strong finish necessary to get into the tournament. Besides that, Dickenmann had a simple answer when asked what they must do, one that suggests confidence could be flagging a bit at a crucial time.
“Start believing in themselves,” the Blue Devil mentor said.
