Central Connecticut State Defeats New Haven Behind Smith’s Career Night
WEST HAVEN, Conn. – Darin Smith Jr. Delivered a career-defining performance, scoring 40 points to lead the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils to an 81-76 victory over the New Haven Chargers on Thursday. The win improves Central Connecticut State’s record to 14-10 overall and 8-5 in the Northeast Conference.
Smith was remarkably efficient, connecting on 13 of 20 field goal attempts, including 3 of 5 from beyond the three-point arc. He also demonstrated perfect accuracy at the free-throw line, converting all 11 attempts. His 40-point outing marks the first time a Blue Devils player has reached that milestone in 13 years, according to BVM Sports.
The Blue Devils received significant contributions beyond Smith’s scoring outburst. Jay Rodgers added 12 points to the tally, along with five rebounds and a team-high seven assists. Roddy Jones also chipped in with 12 points, successfully making 4 of his 5 three-point attempts. Central Connecticut State shot an impressive 57.1% from the field and 56.3% from three-point range.
Despite the strong showing from Central Connecticut State, the New Haven Chargers put up a strong fight. Jabri Fitzpatrick led the Chargers with 20 points and six assists, while Andre Pasha contributed 16 points. Maison Adeleye added 15 points and three steals for New Haven.
The game was a significant one in the context of the Northeast Conference standings. As of February 12, 2026, Central Connecticut State sits at 8-5 in conference play, while New Haven falls to 5-7. According to the NEC standings, LIU currently leads the conference with an 11-1 record.
Central Connecticut State will look to continue its momentum on Saturday when they face Fairleigh Dickinson at 2:00 p.m. The team aims to extend its winning streak and solidify its position in the NEC standings as the season progresses. New Haven will seek to rebound from the loss as they continue their season.
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
