New Britain, Conn. -- Senior guard Jon Iati scored 15 points, including a key three-point field goal in overtime, to lift UAlbany to a 63-60 victory over Central Connecticut State on Wednesday, Nov. 14 at Detrick Gymnasium. The Great Danes ended a 10-game skid in the series that dated back to the 1961-62 season.
Central Connecticut State (0-2) rallied from a 56-51 deficit over the final four minutes. Shemik Thompson, who had 12 points, cut into the lead with a 3-pointer. Freshman David Simmons converted a drive in the lane that closed the gap to 58-56 after his team pounded the offensive glass on several occasions. Following Brent Wilson's missed 3-pointer from the left corner, Tristan Blackwood knifed through the lane to hit a one-hander with 16.5 seconds remaining that tied the game at 58-all. The Great Danes never got off a shot on their last offensive set.
In the extra period, the Blue Devils took a 59-58 lead on Tamir Johnson's free throw. But UAlbany (1-1) responded on its next possession when Brian Lillis converted a layup off a pass from the left wing by Wilson. Iati, who made 5-of-11 from the field, then drilled a three-pointer from the top of the arc with 2:08 to play. Blackwood had two opportunities to force another overtime, but could only get off a one-handed heave from the right side over the final 10 seconds.
UAlbany's Tim Ambrose had eight of his 11 points in the first half, as his team held the defending Northeast Conference champions to 41.8-percent shooting. Wilson finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists. CCSU's Blackwood and Simmons tallied 12 and 10 points, respectively. The Blue Devils had their 11-game home winning streak halted.
"We will not get any style points," said UAlbany coach Will Brown, whose team ended a string of eight consecutive overtime losses since 2003. "They made life very difficult for us, and we struggled with their pressure. Central (Connecticut) had all the momentum heading into overtime. They didn't get the same looks that they did late in the second half."
The Great Danes trailed by five early in the opening stanza but came back to tie the contest at 12 apiece. Wilson converted a four-point play to draw his team even when he was fouled on a three-point shot from the left corner. Central Connecticut State later regained the lead as Marcus Palmer canned a 3-point field goal on the left baseline for a 24-22 advantage.
With the game tied at 26, UAlbany ran off eight unanswered points to take a halftime lead. Freshman Al Turley scored in the lane on a high-low exchange from Brian Connelly to ignite the run. Ambrose, who was making his first appearance of the season, added six straight, including an offensive rebound basket with 24 seconds left in the period.
"We were in the same situation against Bucknell and we wanted to change that,” said Iati, who played 35 minutes off the bench. “We wanted to learn from our mistakes. It's a win on the road despite not playing to our potential. Our defense was good. They were forced into tough shots, but we didn't always get the rebound."
UAlbany 63, Central Connecticut State 60 (Nov. 14, 2007)
Official Basketball Box Score
Official Basketball Box Score
Albany vs Central Connecticut
11/14/07 7:00 p.m. at New Britain, CT Detrick Gym
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VISITORS: Albany 1-1
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
05 Hastings, Jerel..... * 1-6 0-1 1-3 2 2 4 3 3 0 1 0 0 26
21 Lillis, Brian....... * 4-9 0-1 0-0 1 1 2 5 8 2 7 0 2 22
33 Connelly, Brian..... * 3-6 1-2 0-0 2 4 6 2 7 5 1 1 0 35
34 Wilson, Brent....... * 4-10 1-7 1-1 1 6 7 0 10 5 5 0 1 38
42 Covington, Jimmie... * 1-1 0-0 0-0 3 1 4 4 2 1 1 0 0 14
03 Martin, Josh........ 1-4 1-3 0-0 0 2 2 0 3 1 2 0 1 16
11 Anderson, Reid...... 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 5
14 Iati, Jon........... 5-11 2-7 3-3 0 2 2 0 15 2 1 0 2 35
23 Ambrose, Tim........ 5-6 1-1 0-0 2 3 5 1 11 1 0 0 1 12
54 Gifford, Brett...... 1-1 0-0 0-0 1 3 4 2 2 0 0 0 0 16
55 Turley, Al.......... 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 3 2 0 1 0 0 6
TEAM................ 1 1 2
Totals.............. 26-56 6-23 5-7 13 26 39 21 63 17 20 1 7 225
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 15-28 53.6% 2nd Half: 9-23 39.1% OT: 2-5 40.0% Game: 46.4% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 4-12 33.3% 2nd Half: 1-9 11.1% OT: 1-2 50.0% Game: 26.1% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 2-3 66.7% 2nd Half: 3-3 100 % OT: 0-1 0.0% Game: 71.4% 2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME TEAM: Central Connecticut 0-2
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
11 THOMPSON, Shemik.... * 4-9 1-3 3-4 1 1 2 0 12 4 1 0 1 35
23 SIMMONS, David...... * 4-4 0-0 2-2 2 0 2 2 10 0 1 0 1 33
32 SEYMORE, Joe........ * 2-9 1-7 0-0 0 4 4 3 5 2 1 0 3 39
34 JOHNSON, Tamir...... * 1-2 0-0 3-9 0 4 4 2 5 0 0 1 1 29
35 BLACKWOOD, Tristan.. * 5-16 2-11 0-0 3 4 7 1 12 4 7 0 0 42
01 POWELL, Dannie...... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 3 0 0 0 9
05 HALL, Aaron......... 3-5 0-0 0-3 3 0 3 1 6 1 2 0 0 10
21 PALMER, Marcus...... 4-7 1-3 0-0 0 1 1 0 9 1 2 1 0 20
30 HORTON, Ken......... 0-2 0-1 1-2 1 0 1 4 1 1 0 0 0 8
TEAM................ 2 2 4
Totals.............. 23-55 5-25 9-20 12 17 29 13 60 16 14 2 6 225
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 11-27 40.7% 2nd Half: 12-25 48.0% OT: 0-3 0.0% Game: 41.8% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 3-11 27.3% 2nd Half: 2-11 18.2% OT: 0-3 0.0% Game: 20.0% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 3-7 42.9% 2nd Half: 4-7 57.1% OT: 2-6 33.3% Game: 45.0% 5
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Officials: Brian O'Connell, Jeff Smith, Charles Elias
Technical fouls: Albany-None. Central Connecticut-None.
Attendance: 2019
Score by Periods 1st 2nd OT Total
Albany........................ 36 22 5 - 63
Central Connecticut........... 28 30 2 - 60
