Last week, the Chargers men’s basketball team began their journey as a Division I competitor.
They faced off against the national number four ranked University of Connecticut (UConn) Huskies, the Columbia University Lions and the Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) Nittany Lions.
To open this slate of games, the Chargers traveled to Storrs on Nov. 3 to take on the UConn Huskies. Early in the first half, they managed to keep things competitive and stayed within a five to eight point deficit behind hot shooting from Andre Pasha. However, UConn continued to answer every Charger basket and pushed their lead to 27–14 at halftime.
In the second half, New Haven cut a 17-point deficit down to 10, but that was the closest they got, as the Huskies pulled away to hand the Chargers a 79–55 loss in their Division I debut.
Pasha led New Haven with 17 points on 8-of-16 shooting and six rebounds, while Najimi George scored 14 points and Maison Adeleye added 13 on an efficient 6-of-9 from the field. The Chargers shot 44.2% from the field but struggled from deep, 3-of-14, and at the line, 6-of-14.
After the loss against the Huskies, the Chargers hosted their first Division I home game against the Columbia Lions on Friday. Columbia quickly applied pressure, and jumped to a 12–3 lead within the first eight minutes. Kenny Noland led the Lions with an early impact on both ends and a rebound leading to his own three, followed by a block on the next defensive possession. New Haven struggled to generate offense, especially from beyond the arc, as Columbia’s defense took away the inside looks that worked well against UConn. The Chargers entered halftime with a 42–18 deficit.
The second half showed little change, as the Chargers finished shooting 31.6% from the field and 4-of-19 from three-point arc, after they fell short, 71–53. George led New Haven with 15 points, while Pasha added 11 and Jabri Fitzpatrick scored 10. Columbia shot an efficient 55.1% overall and 8-of-16 from deep, with Noland scoring 14 points and Miles Franklin posting 13 off the bench as the Lions’ depth and 31 bench points proved too much for the Chargers to overcome.
For the final game of the week’s slate, the Chargers hosted the 1–0 Penn State Nittany Lions, and unlike their first two matchups, New Haven opened strong. The Chargers held a one-point lead within the first six minutes, however, Penn State’s relentless full-court pressure eventually wore the Chargers down, and forced rushed passes that turned into steals and easy points the other way. Kayden Mingo and Dominick Stewart led the surge for Penn State, with Mingo attacking inside while Stewart found success from three, which helped the Nittany Lions take a commanding 41–21 lead into halftime.
The Chargers continued to struggle on the glass and were forced into tough perimeter shots that did not fall, and lost, 87-43. New Haven finished 4-of-19 from behind the three-point arc and 37.8% overall. Penn State shot 52.5% from the field, hit 11 three-point shots and controlled the game with 41 bench points. Fitzpatrick led New Haven with 14 points, while Pasha scored seven and George added five.
In their opening Division I stretch, the Chargers finished with an overall record of 0-3. New Haven will be back in action Saturday when they host the Delaware State University Hornets. Tip-off is at 1 p.m. at The Hazell Center. For more information, visit NewHavenChargers.com.
