On a night where so many of the 5-3 teams in the NEC had tough games and Justin Rutty made a surprise return for Quinnipiac, the Blue Devils needed a nice win to keep pace and set up a big one Saturday.
What they got was one of their best performances of the year. The defense was stifling, the offense was flawless and the effort level was at "March" level. Even better, the students packed the building and made Detrick Gym a tough place to play.
With so much good stuff to review, let's get right to man-to-man.
Shemik Thompson: Aggressive and effective. Got to the rim, passed the ball to the open man and led the defense with three steals. Wonderful effort.
Joe Efese: If he can stop the fouls, he can be a huge factor. Made a couple of shots and had a block. He's this close to being back.
Devan Bailey: One of his main jobs is to avoid turnovers, which he didn't do. But his defense is solid and he made another open shot tonight, which is more important than you think. He wants to keep the defense honest, and that shot is a big step in doing so.
Robby Ptacek: Not a great scoring night, but no complaints here. Love the way he went to the glass and the patience he showed with the jumper, getting himself one step closer, then shooting.
Ken Horton: Howie Dickenman called him the best player in the league. I've been saying that for a while now, but I'm running out of possible arguments for anyone else. When he decides to be an inside-out player, there's nothing anyone in this league can do about him.
Vince Rosario: Let's see if those couple of threes start a nice streak for Vince.
Mark LaPorte: Take it to the tin young fella! Sorry, was channeling my inner Raftery. Seriously, nice to see him go right to the goal.
De'Angelo Speech: Made his free throws, but the Devils need more out of him. We're getting to the time of year when coaches start saying things like "there are no freshmen anymore." His highs are very high, but there are still some lows. The good news is there aren't nearly as many as there were in November.
Chris Baskerville: The block: good. A steal: very good. But he needs rebounds. Even if he never scores another point, he can be effective if he hits the boards and gives Central a presence inside.
Terrell Allen: His play at the end of the half shouldn't get overlooked. He got Central some of the momentum it was starting to lose. Great pass by Shemik, great finish (save for the free throw). Cut out the turnovers and we'll be saying more and more nice things about him.
Justin Alexander: The first basket is always the hardest to get. Looked energetic.
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