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William H. Detrick Gymnasium

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Multi-purpose arena in New Britain, Connecticut
William H. Detrick Gymnasium
Location1615 Stanley Street
New Britain, Connecticut 06053
Coordinates41°41′35″N 72°45′54″W / 41.693°N 72.7649°W / 41.693; -72.7649
OwnerCentral Connecticut State University
OperatorCentral Connecticut State University
Capacity2,654
SurfaceHardwood
Opened1965
Tenants
Central Connecticut State Blue Devils
(NCAA Sports)

William H. Detrick Gymnasium is a 2,654-seat multi-purpose arena in New Britain, Connecticut. It is home to the Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils men's and women's basketball teams and women's volleyball team. In 2005 it received a new floor, the first since the facility opened in 1965. The Northeast Conference men's basketball tournament was held there in 1998, 2002, and 2007. The facility is named after Bill Detrick, who was head coach at CCSU for 29 years, compiling a school-record 468 wins.

History

In 2020–21, William H. Detrick Gymnasium celebrated its 55th season of Central Connecticut men's basketball. The Blue Devils’ historic home court ranks as the oldest in the Northeast Conference and is the fifth-oldest NCAA Division I home venue in New England.

  1. Matthews Arena, Northeastern (1910)
  2. Payne Whitney Gymnasium, Yale (1932)
  3. Lundholm Gymnasium, New Hampshire (1938)
  4. Patrick Gymnasium, Vermont (1963)
  5. Detrick Gymnasium, Central Connecticut (1965)

Under head coach Bill Detrick, for whom the gymnasium is named, the Blue Devils christened their new home court with a 109–57 win over Coast Guard on December 4, 1965. Central's Bob Plosky scored the first points in the gym's history with a basket at the 19:30 mark of the first half. Gene Reilly, who ranks eighth all-time in scoring at CCSU with 1,597 points, led the way with 21 points in front of a then-record crowd of 3,600 fans. The Blue Devils went on to win their first 10 home games at their new home and posted a 23–3 overall record, which included a trip to the 1966 NCAA College Division basketball tournament.

Detrick Gymnasium is part of the Kaiser Hall athletic building, a modern and spacious gymnasium at the time it ushered Central Connecticut's men's basketball program from NAIA era to NCAA Division II. Built with a total capacity of 4,500, it was the second-largest on-campus basketball gym in New England when it opened in 1965.

  1. Greer Field House, Connecticut (4,604)
  2. Detrick Gymnasium, Central Connecticut (4,500)
  3. Curry Hicks Cage, Massachusetts (4,000)
  4. Keaney Gymnasium, Rhode Island (3,885)

See also

References

  1. Anthony, Mike (September 19, 2014). "Bill Detrick, Longtime Central, Trinity Coach, Dead At 87". Hartford Courant. Retrieved October 11, 2014.

External links

Central Connecticut Blue Devils
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Central Connecticut Blue Devils men's basketball
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Central Connecticut Blue Devils women's basketball
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Central Connecticut State University
Located in: New Britain, Connecticut
Academics
  • Carol A. Ammon College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
  • School of Business
  • School of Education & Professional Studies
  • School of Engineering, Science & Technology
Athletics
  • Founded: 1849
  • Students: 9,653
  • Endowment: uS$80.0 million
Basketball arenas of the Northeast Conference


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