Central Connecticut State Rallies Past Sacred Heart
Raphel Laurent's 35 points led Central Connecticut State to a 79-75 comeback win over Sacred Heart after trailing by 12 at halftime.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Basketball
Central Connecticut State rallied from a 43-31 halftime deficit to defeat Sacred Heart 79-75, with Raphel Laurent scoring 35 points and grabbing eight rebounds. In a related result, Monmouth defeated Quinnipiac 74-70.
Why it matters
The win shows Central Connecticut State can recover from a large deficit, as it outscored Sacred Heart 48 points to 32 in the second half. Both programs now sit at 2-2 on the season, keeping them within reach of the early-season pack.
Central Connecticut State outscored Sacred Heart 48-32 after halftime to erase a 12-point deficit, and Laurent's 35 points were the game's high total. Monmouth's 6-0 opening second-half run against Quinnipiac helped carry it to a 74-70 win, though the extraction does not detail how the final minutes unfolded.
The players
Central Connecticut State
Central Connecticut State is a public university in New Britain, Connecticut, whose athletic teams compete in NCAA Division I as the Blue Devils.
Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart University is a private Catholic university in Fairfield, Connecticut, whose athletic teams compete in NCAA Division I as the Pioneers.
The details
Central Connecticut State trailed Sacred Heart 43-31 at the break before scoring 48 second-half points to win 79-75. Victor Payne added 15 points and Jhace Johnson 12 for the Blue Devils, while Griffin Barrouk led Sacred Heart with 19 and Jojo Wallace added 16.
Timeline
Thursday, November 12, 2026: Central Connecticut State defeats Sacred Heart 79-75 in Fairfield.
Sunday, November 15, 2026: Central Connecticut State hosts Quinnipiac.
Tuesday, November 17, 2026: Sacred Heart plays at Providence.
Season Trajectory
Central Connecticut State and Sacred Heart each sit at 2-2 early in the 2026-27 season, so the comeback win shapes Northeast Conference standings only modestly this early. Quinnipiac and Monmouth's results in the same window show the league's middle tier remains tightly bunched.
Fantasy managers tracking Raphel Laurent should note his 35-point, eight-rebound output as a strong single-game line from Central Connecticut State's guard. Sacred Heart's Griffin Barrouk and Jojo Wallace each posted double-digit scoring totals in the loss.
The takeaway
Early-season comebacks like Central Connecticut State's show that a 12-point halftime deficit is not insurmountable in conference play. Following the next few games will reveal whether the Blue Devils can sustain that second-half intensity.
What happens next
Central Connecticut State hosts Quinnipiac on Sunday, November 15, 2026, and Sacred Heart plays at Providence on Tuesday, November 17, 2026.
Further reading
For more college hoops coverage, see our Basketball section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WTNH.
