Culture, energy and determination is what drives the women’s basketball team, even when they are down.
In a match against the Long Island University (LIU) Sharks, the top seed of the NEC conference, the Chargers fell short 64-46.
Although the Chargers started off defensively strong holding eight straight possessions without LIU scoring, the Sharks were finally able to get on the board with five minutes left in the first quarter. A three-point shot broke the Sharks offensive struggle as they missed eleven shots prior.
Heading into the second quarter, the Chargers trailed by one point. With back to back three point attempts by the Chargers, they got on the board off of a jumper by forward Addisen Sulikowski. New Haven was able to put points up off of three possessions and five free position shots, where they only missed one.
Head Coach Debbie Buff said that players who may not have shown up on the stat sheet, still show up with high energy for every game.
“Our bench. They cheered like that the entire season, they’ve been like that. It’s the best bench energy, because they know they have to keep working for their time, they’re not selfish,” said Buf.
The Chargers started off the second half by scoring twice which put the team in a five-point deficit to the Sharks. New Haven’s defense put up a strong fight in the third quarter and tallied eight defensive and offensive rebounds.
Buff said, “Like, if you look at our stats today, we did a great job rebounding. Our rebound since we did rebounders. has been way better.”
The Chargers went into the final quarter with another defensive rebound, trailing the Sharks by eight.
In the fourth quarter the Chargers continued to add pressure and play with energy. New Haven got on the board at the eight minute mark but were still trailing by fifteen and fighting to close the gap. The Chargers only scored on three possessions in the fourth, and had three successful free pointers.
Guards Teaira Kelley and Schuyler Coles led the Chargers with nine points each. Kelleye tallied seven rebounds, three steals and three assists while Coles added two rebounds. Guard Lindsay Hogan finished with eight points after shooting 2-for-8 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. Forward Aniya McDonald-Perry added six points and center Merit Innocent and Slikowski each scored four.
The team tallied 40 rebounds, 10 steals, six blocks and six assists. New Haven committed 17 personal fouls and 17 turnovers.
The Chargers also faced the Chicago State University Cougars but fell short 60-57. New Haven came out hungry and started off hot, with a strong 22 point second quarter that flipped the momentum and gave the Chargers a lead entering halftime.
McDonald-Perry led the team with her ninth double-double of the season after she tallied 19 points and 13 rebounds.
New Haven’s defense stayed tough throughout and forced contested shots while hustling for loose balls, but Chicago State’s depth and late execution kept the Cougars in the game. The Chargers made several key free throws down the stretch to stay within striking distance, fueling a late push. Despite clutch efforts from McDonald-Perry and contributions across the line up, New Haven couldn’t close it out as Chicago State answered with timely buckets in the fourth quarter.
The Cougars capitalized on New Haven’s mistakes and scored 21 points off Charger turnovers. The Cougars bench also scored 22 points while New Haven’s bench struggled offensively and only put up one point.
The women’s basketball team now has an overall record of 7-16 and 5-7 in conference play. The Chargers will be back in action on Thursday as they travel to face the Stonehill College Skyhawks for a conference matchup. Tip-off is 6 p.m. in North Easton, Mass. For more information, visit NewHavenChargers.com.
