NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (Interstat) — In a matchup of teams seeking to escape the Northeast Conference cellar, the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils found a rare winning formula Thursday night, leaning on the prolific scoring duo of Lucia Noin and Kiyah Lewis to secure a 60-50 women’s basketball victory over the New Haven Chargers at William H. Detrick Gymnasium.

The game, witnessed by an intimate crowd of 222, delivered Central Connecticut just its second win of the season against 27 losses, while New Haven fell to 7-22. The result flipped the script from their January meeting, a 70-51 New Haven victory, and defied statistical projections that heavily favored the Chargers.

The most important part of the contest was Central Connecticut’s sustained defensive pressure and its ability to consistently answer any semblance of a New Haven run with critical baskets from its star tandem. The Chargers, plagued by inefficient offense throughout, never held a lead after the game’s opening minutes and could not mount a decisive challenge in the second half.

New Haven started briskly, with Lindsay Hogan scoring five quick points, including a three-pointer, to give the Chargers an early edge. However, the Blue Devils swiftly seized control with a 13-2 run spanning the first and second quarters. The surge was fueled by Lewis, the sophomore from Fredericksburg, Virginia, who scored seven points during the stretch, and punctuated by a Trinity Barnes layup off a Ciera Pearson assist early in the second period to establish a 19-11 advantage.

The Chargers struggled mightily from the field, a theme that persisted all evening. They shot just 28.6% on the night, connecting on only 16 of 56 attempts, and were a frigid 5 of 22 from three-point range. Despite this, they managed to hang around through sheer effort, particularly on the defensive end where they accumulated nine steals. A three-pointer from Addisen Sulikowski and a layup from the same player, both assisted by Renelle Grannum, brought New Haven within 39-33 late in the third quarter.

Each time New Haven threatened, Central Connecticut had a response, and it almost always involved Noin or Lewis. Following Sulikowski’s personal 5-0 run, the Blue Devils immediately executed a set play out of a timeout, resulting in a Lucia Noin three-pointer assisted by Lewis to push the lead back to nine. The sequence typified the night; for every Charger push, there was a Blue Devil counterpunch.

The fourth quarter followed a similar pattern. After a Jasmine McKay three-pointer cut the Central Connecticut lead to 49-45 with 8:02 remaining, the Blue Devils delivered a decisive 8-2 spurt over the next three minutes. Noin hit a tough jumper, then found Lewis for a corner three-pointer that extended the margin to 57-47 with 4:02 left, effectively sealing the outcome. New Haven would get no closer than eight points the rest of the way.

Noin, a sophomore from Santander, Spain, was the orchestrator, finishing with a game-high 24 points, four assists and three steals in 37 minutes. Lewis was equally formidable, logging 40 minutes and contributing 23 points, six rebounds and three steals. Their combined 47 points overshadowed the entire New Haven starting lineup’s production. Pearson, despite scoring only two points, facilitated the offense with six assists and was a defensive presence with four steals.

For New Haven, McKay led the way with 13 points, though it came on inefficient shooting. Hogan added 12 points and two assists. The Chargers’ offensive rating of 70.9 points per 100 possessions underscored a night of missed opportunities and stagnant spells, while Central Connecticut’s 83.1 rating, though not stellar, proved sufficient.

Both teams committed a similar number of turnovers, 13 for New Haven and 12 for Central Connecticut, and battled nearly evenly on the glass. The difference ultimately resided in shot-making. Central Connecticut converted at a 37.5% clip from the floor and made key free throws down the stretch, while New Haven’s shooting woes never abated.

The victory provides a bright spot in a difficult season for Central Connecticut, while New Haven continues to search for consistency as the regular season winds down. The two teams entered the game with the two worst records in the conference, but for one night, the Blue Devils executed when it mattered to split the season series.