Central Connecticut State
Central Connecticut State's second-year head coach Beryl Piper likely smiles at the fact that the top four scorers (three sophomores, one freshman) from her first season at the helm of her alma mater each have at least three years of eligibility remaining. The Blue Devils welcome back all five starters from a team that made visible strides as the season progressed. CCSU routinely suffered from rookie mistakes that usually plague untested teams. Learning first-hand the importance of taking care of the basketball, CCSU posted the NEC's least-favorable turnover margin.
NEC all-rookie forward Kerrianne Dugan leads the returning core, having accumulated team highs in minutes (34.7) and points (10.0) per game. Dugan struggled in committing 89 turnovers, but made up for her miscues by ranking eighth amongst league leaders in steals (1.79/g). Junior guard P.J. Wade has the thickest resume of the group. Appearing in all of the Blue Devils' 29 games for a second straight season, Wade (9.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg) led CCSU in scoring on nine occasions and posted eight team highs in rebounding.
Trying to revive the program for which she once captained in the mid-1980s as a student-athlete, Piper added five newcomers in the off-season including New York transfer Veree Harris (Jr., F, 6-0) of NJCAA national champion Monroe CC. Following her days as a captain at Peekskill High School, Harris went on to captain the Monroe championship squad and earns a place on the NJCAA All-Tournament Team. She brings size to CCSU's frontcourt, which sorely missed former all-NEC first teamer Gabriella Guegbelet last season. Another key addition will be Gabrielle Oglesby (Fr., F/G, 5-10), a local product from nearby Hamden, CT. A 1,000-point scorer at Hill Regional Career HS, Oglesby earned All-State honors from numerous publications.
CCSU By the Numbers
Quick Facts
2007-08 Record: 4-25
NEC Record/Place: 3-15/T-10th
NEC Tournament: DNQ
Starters Returning/Lost: 5/0
Letterwinners R/L: 7/4
Overall Record (Past Four Years)
Last Year: 4-25
Last Two Years: 10-48
Last Three Years: 19-68
Last Four Years: 28-87
NEC Record (Past Four Years)
Last Year: 3-15
Last Two Years: 7-29
Last Three Years: 13-41
Last Four Years: 21-51
RPI Nat'l Rank/Conf. Standing
2007-08: 317/11th
2006-07: 278/9th
Leading Returning Scorers
Kerrianne Dugan: 10.0 ppg
PJ Wade: 9.9 ppg
Emily Rose: 7.4 ppg
Leading Returning Rebounders
Danica Covington: 6.8 rpg
PJ Wade: 6.1 rpg
Kerrianne Dugan: 6.1 rpg