The Chargers hosted the Saint Michael’s Knights on Saturday, Feb. 10 as they looked to break a six-game losing streak. In an all around dominant performance on both sides of the floor, the Chargers won in convincing fashion with a 71-42 final score.
With a strong start from the Chargers, the Knights’ defense was unable to keep up with their persistent offense in the first half. Showing improvement from prior games, New Haven went into the second half leading by 28 points.
Guard Charlotte Bassett led the offense for New Haven again with a career-high 24 points and finished the game shooting 11-of-17 from the field. Bassett went 2-for-5 from behind the three-point arc and tallied 11 rebounds and one steal.
Following behind Bassett was forward Makaela Johnson with nine points, five rebounds and four assists. Guard Sabira Ahayeva went 2-for-3 from beyond the arc and went 2-for-4 at the free throw line. In addition to contributing eight points for the Chargers, Ahayeva had four rebounds, a set of assists and a steal.
After her career-high performance, Bassett said, “I try to get shots up with my teammates after practice and that’s really fun, so it just carried over.”
Aside from the leading scorers, six other Chargers were able to put up points. Forwards Aurora Deshaies and Bianca Pendleton scored seven points each. Pendleton came off the bench with a strong start making her first shot from behind the three-point arc and finishing the game shooting 3-for-6. Pendleton added three rebounds, an assist and a steal. Deshaies was right behind Bassett as she tallied 10 rebounds, three assists and a steal.
“Well, I just wanted to work to get a win for the team,” said Deshaies. “I try hard in practice, I work hard. I have Merit and BP battling me, so they definitely pushed me to my limit.”
Guards Lindsay Hogan and Eveani Okwuosa both added six points. Adding to the team’s effort, Hogan had four rebounds, four assists and a strong block. Okwuosa finished the game shooting 3-for-5 from the field and added three steals and a rebound. Guard Nayeli Dowding and forward Merit Innocent both tallied 2 points and two rebounds. Dowding also had a steal.
Against the Knights’ 29.1% shooting from the field, New Haven finished the game shooting 49.2%. In the fourth quarter, the Chargers went 6-for-18 from the field but the Knights were not able to close the gap that New Haven asserted from the start of the game.
As they broke out of their six-game losing streak, the bench was supportive of their teammates and the effort they left out on the court.
“We have the best bench and sideline ever,” said Bassett. “I love it and I even love sometimes when I’m on the bench, I get to cheer.”
The Chargers held the lead throughout the game and took dominance over Saint Michael’s. The Knights ended the game with only 22 rebounds while New Haven tallied 49 alongside their 19 assists, nine steals and one block.
With playoffs shortly ahead for New Haven, Deshaies said, “We just have to stay together and come together as a team. It’s not an individual sport, it’s a team sport, and moving forward we are going to take this win and keep going.”
After the win against the Knights, the Chargers now have an overall record of 7-14 and are 3-14 in conference play. New Haven will host Southern Connecticut State University at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 13. For more information, please visit NewHavenChargers.com.