After a loss against Bentley University last week, the Chargers hosted the Assumption Greyhounds as they looked to break their two-game losing streak. New Haven started off strong, putting the first points of the game on the scoreboard with a three-pointer from guard Davontrey Thomas. The Chargers were able to hold on to the lead for the majority of the first half, leading by 11 points with six minutes remaining in the first half. However, with less than three minutes left in the half, Assumption made a last-minute comeback and took the lead, ending the first half with a score of 23-20 in favor of the Greyhounds.
After holding the lead for most of the first half and only trailing by three, New Haven regrouped after halftime and prepared to make a comeback. The Chargers quickly jumped ahead to begin the second half, taking back the lead after two free throws from guard Jah’Likai King and another three-pointer from Thomas.
New Haven continued their defensive dominance for the remainder of the second half, only allowing Assumption to hold the lead one time before the Chargers quickly took it back. The game remained close, but New Haven was able to come out on top with a 54-50 victory over the Greyhounds.
Thomas was the leading scorer for the Chargers with a game-high 22 points. This was his second game of the season surpassing 20 points. Thomas finished the game shooting 67% from the field and connecting on 8-of-12 overall. Three of those eight came from outside the three-point arc, while another three came from the free throw line. Joining Thomas in the double-digit scoring range was King, who chipped in 11 for the Chargers.
Following the leading scorer duo, guard Tyler Saint-Furcy added another nine points for New Haven while forward Tarese Morse added six.
Overall, New Haven finished the night shooting 37.2% overall, connecting on 16-of-43 attempts. Among those 16, five were made from outside of the three-point arc. Additionally, the Chargers capitalized on free throws, shooting 89.5% from the free throw line and connecting on 17-of-19 attempts.
The Chargers also took the upper hand over Assumption on the boards, with a 44-25 advantage in rebounds. Leading these efforts was Morse, who pulled down 11 for New Haven. Following Morse in the rebound column was forward Sean Braithwaite who tallied eight and forward Joshua Hopson who grabbed seven.
Following the victory on Tuesday, the Chargers improved to an overall record of 7-13 and a 4-10 record in the Northeast-10 conference. The Chargers will open the month of February on the road, with a pair of away games next week. The first of the two games will take place in Manchester, N.H., where New Haven will take on the Penmen of Southern New Hampshire University on Saturday, Feb. 3. Tip-off at the Stan Spirou Field House is scheduled for 3:30 P.M. For more information, visit NewHavenChargers.com.