NEW BRITAIN, CT- Saint Francis women's basketball was held to 27 percent shooting, 20 percent in the second half in a 66-51 defeat at the hands of the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils at Detrick Gym on Saturday afternoon. 

The Flash were held to their lowest point total of the year and just 21 second-half points.

"I wasn't disappointed in how we play, but I was in how we shot the ball today," head coach Joe Haigh said. "Credit Central Connecticut, they out toughed us at times today."

The Blue Devils out rebounded the Flash 58-34 including 18-15 on the offensive end. CCSU owned a 15-2 edge in second-chance points.

Saint Francis started the game strong, after the teams traded baskets in the early minutes, Jessica Kovatch (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) followed a Hallee Adams basket with a three to give SFU a 11-9 lead. Kovatch would hit again, this time a fall away from along the right baseline as the Flash took a 14-11 lead into the second quarter.

CCSU would start the quarter hot, hitting a pair of threes to give them a one-point lead at 17-16. The Red Flash defense would spark the offense. Forced turnovers led to five-straight points from Aisha Brock (Jacksonville, Fla./Potter's House Christian Academy) gave Saint Francis back the lead at 21-19. Brock again would capitalize off a Blue Devil miscue, scoring on a pair of driving lay-ups to grow the Flash lead to four at 30-26. The Flash would take a one-point lead, 30-29 lead into the break. In the opening half, the Flash forced 15 turnovers but turned the miscues into just six points. For the game, the Flash turned 22 CCSU turnovers into seven points.

The Flash would go cold in the second half. After trading baskets with CCSU, SFU was held scoreless over a four-minute stretch in the third while the Blue Devils built a six-point lead at 42-36. An Adams lay-in ended the drought and a Katie Reese (Boonton Township, N.J./Mountain Lakes) three cut the CCSU lead to one at 44-43 with 90 seconds remaining in the quarter. The Blue Devils would end the quarter on a 7-0 run including a five-point possession to end the quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Flash's shooting woes would continue. The Red Flash were held without a field goal until the 2:14 mark of the quarter on a Samiah Bethel (Jacksonville, Fla./Potter's House Christian Academy) lay-in. Until that point, the Flash were limited to a pair of Katie Reese (Boonton Township, N.J./Mountain Lakes) free throws. Saint Francis went 1-19 in that final frame as CCSU led by as many as 17 in the quarter.

"We were looking for that spark all second half, it just never came," Haigh added. "We are going to have off night's like this, the big thing is how respond, especially on the glass because we won't shoot like this often."

Kovatch led all scorers with 21 points on 9-19 shooting, but picked up her fourth personal foul late in the third quarter, sending her to the bench for the start of the fourth. The freshman also added three rebounds and a steal on Saturday.  Aisha Brock (Jacksonville, Fla./Potter's House Christian Academy) was the only other Flash in double figures, scoring 10 points whule adding three rebounds and three steals. Brielle Ward (Baltimore, Md./Western (Hampton U)) led the way with seven rebounds. For the Blue Devils, TeJahne Malone recorded a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds, as did Aleah Epps with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

With the loss, SFU now sits at 7-11 overall and 5-3 in NEC play while CCSU is now 6-12 overall and 3-4 in conference. Saint Francis will look to bounce back on Monday night as they travel to Bryant to take on the NEC-leading Bulldogs. Tip time from Smithfield, Rhode Island is set for 5 p.m. on Monday night.