Mercyhurst 78, at Central Connecticut 80

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (Interstat) — In a game defined by its frantic final seconds, Darin Smith’s clutch free throws with four-tenths of a second remaining lifted Central Connecticut to an 80-78 victory over Mercyhurst in a Northeast Conference men’s basketball thriller on Thursday night at William H. Detrick Gymnasium. The Blue Devils, who led for nearly 37 minutes, saw a 10-point second-half advantage evaporate and needed every bit of Smith’s game-high 24 points to survive a furious comeback by the Lakers. The win improved Central Connecticut to 17-11 overall, while Mercyhurst fell to 14-16. The most critical sequence unfolded in… Read more...