NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (Interstat) — Darin Smith scored 24 points and Jay Rodgers orchestrated the offense with 13 assists as Central Connecticut pulled away in the second half to defeat Chicago State 78-67 in a Northeast Conference men’s basketball game Thursday night at William H. Detrick Gymnasium.

The Blue Devils, who led 35-28 at halftime, used a decisive 15-4 run midway through the second period to turn a tight contest into a comfortable double-digit advantage. The surge was fueled by Smith’s perimeter shooting and the interior presence of Max Frazier, who finished with 15 points and two blocks.

Rodgers, the 6-foot-3 guard from Pickerington, Ohio, controlled the tempo throughout, consistently finding teammates for open looks. His playmaking was central to Central Connecticut shooting efficiently from the floor and building a 43-39 scoring edge in the second half.

Chicago State’s CJ Ray kept the Cougars within striking distance with a game-high 22 points, including a stepback jumper to open the scoring and a trio of three-pointers. Marcus Tankersley added 15 points for the Cougars, who capitalized on Central Connecticut’s carelessness with the ball, scoring 22 points off 15 Blue Devil turnovers.

The most important stretch of the game began with Central Connecticut leading 51-47 near the 11-minute mark of the second half. Over the next four minutes, the Blue Devils clamped down defensively and executed a series of scoring plays to break the game open. Rodgers initiated the run by finding Roddy Jones for a three-pointer. After a Chicago State turnover, Daniel Etiosa James converted a layup. Following a Cougars miss, Rodgers again located Jones for another three, pushing the lead to 59-47.

Chicago State never recovered from that burst. The Cougars managed to cut the deficit to nine points on several occasions, but each time Central Connecticut had an answer, often from Smith. The 6-foot-7 forward from Springfield, Massachusetts, hit a critical pull-up jumper and a pair of three-pointers in the final seven minutes to extinguish any hope of a Chicago State comeback.

Central Connecticut’s ball security and shot-making down the stretch proved the difference. The Blue Devils committed only three second-half turnovers after 12 in the first half, surrendering just three points off turnovers for the entire game. Conversely, Chicago State’s 14 turnovers led to 22 points for the home team.

Melo Sanchez provided 14 points off the bench for Central Connecticut, while Jones contributed 11 points in 12 minutes. For Chicago State, Chauncey Gibson scored eight points and Braelon Bush dished out five assists.

The victory improved Central Connecticut to 12-10 overall and provided a positive start to the second half of the conference schedule. The Blue Devils entered the game with a 92.4% probability to win according to Interstat’s ELO system. Chicago State fell to 3-20 with the loss, though the Cougars showed fight by outscoring Central Connecticut 32-28 in the paint and generating more fast-break opportunities.

A crowd of 914 watched as Central Connecticut methodically built its lead after a back-and-forth opening period. The game featured seven ties and six lead changes, all occurring in the first half. The Blue Devils took the lead for good on a pair of Darin Smith free throws with 27 seconds remaining before halftime, part of a 7-0 run to close the period that gave them a seven-point cushion at the break.

Both teams return to conference play on Saturday. Central Connecticut will host Wagner, while Chicago State travels to face New Haven. The two teams will meet again in a rematch in Chicago on Feb. 21.