Sixth Annual Connecticut 6 Classic Set For November 14 At TD Bank Sports Center
8/11/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Connecticut 6 Classic is set for November 14 at TD Bank Sports Center, hosted by Quinnipiac University. The college men's basketball tripleheader includes six of the state's Division I programs, the sixth time that the event will tip off.
The first game features Central Connecticut State University against Fairfield University at 3 pm. The middle contest includes Yale University against host Quinnipiac University at 5:30 pm. The tripleheader concludes at 8 p.m. when the University of Hartford takes on Sacred Heart University.
Central Connecticut State University finished the 2013-14 season with an 11-19 overall record and a 7-9 mark in the Northeast Conference (NEC). The Blue Devils faced another daunting schedule that included Big Ten foes Purdue University and Ohio State University early in the campaign. But, CCSU won five of their last seven regular-season games which sent the squad to the NEC tournament. The team returns several key players in 2014-15 including All-NEC guard Kyle Vinales (Detroit, Mich.). The senior led the team with 17.4 points and 32.4 minutes player per game.
Fairfield University completed the 2013-14 campaign with a 7-25 overall record and a 4-16 slate in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play. The team will play in its fourth straight national in-season tournament this November when it participates in the Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament, which includes a date with Duke University just 24 hours after playing its Connecticut 6 game. The Stags lost just one player from last year, and will look to junior Marcus Gilbert (Smyrna, Del.) to improve on his 13.9 scoring average which is best among returning players.
The University of Hartford posted a 17-16 overall record, its second straight winning record, and advanced to the America East semifinals. The 17 victories were the second most since Hartford joined the Division I ranks. The Hawks received strong play from Mark Nwakamma (Leander, Texas), who led the team in scoring at 15.3 points every forty minutes and received a berth on the All-America East first team. Yolonzo Moore II (Austin, Texas) just missed a double-figure scoring average last season with 9.8 points per contest. The Hawks made a trip to Australia for five games in three cities this month.
Quinnipiac University completed its first season in the MAAC last year, posting a 20-12 overall record and 14-6 conference slate. The Bobcats won seven of eight games in February which sent the team into the MAAC tournament as the number three seed. Quinnipiac advanced to the CollegeInsider Postseason Tournament and faced Connecticut 6 foe Yale University. Zaid Hearst (Bethesda, Md.) is the team's top returning scorer with a 15.5 scoring average, helping him earn All-MAAC honors.
Sacred Heart University played its first season under Head Coach Anthony Latina. The Pioneers finished the 2013-14 campaign with a 5-26 overall record and a 2-14 NEC mark. The team returns its leading scorer in redshirt-senior Evan Kelley (Norwalk, Conn.) netting 12.8 points per contest. Junior Phil Gaetano (Wallingford, Conn.) set a school Division I record with 222 assists, averaging 7.9 point per game which ranked him both in the conference and nationally. He was named the NEC Scholar Athlete of the Year for the winter season.
Yale University participated in postseason play in 2013-14, advancing to the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament championship game. The Bulldogs won three of its four CIT games on the road, accounting for nearly half of the team's nine road victories last year. Junior Justin Sears (Plainfield, N.J.) will be back in uniform this year after leading the team in scoring with 16.9 points per game. Senior Javier Duren (St. Louis, Mo.) was next in line with a 13.6 scoring average. Sears earned All-Ivy first team while Duren picked up All-Ivy honorable mention following the 2013-14 campaign.
Fans interested in purchasing tickets for the CT 6 can call the QU Ticket Office at 203-582-3905, visit the official website of Quinnipiac athletics, www.QuinnipiacBobcats.com or make a trip to the TD Bank Sports Center Ticket Office.
