The Chargers are in the midst of a five-game winning streak after defeating Stonehill on Saturday 98-87 in overtime. This is their second five game winning streak of the season, and their third streak where they have won three or more consecutive games.  

The Chargers currently sit in first place in the Southwest Division and don’t have any plans of relinquishing the top spot. New Haven has had a lot of success this season, and it’s attributed to their strong play on both the offensive and defensive ends.

Junior guard Elijah Bailey has been leading the charge this season as the team’s leading scorer, dropping 28 points in the victory over Stonehill. Over the team’s winning streak, Bailey is averaging 24 points per game, five points up from his season average of 19.4, which ranks him eighth in the NE-10 Conference. The scoring has not stopped after it touches Bailey’s hands, as the hot hand seems to be contagious on the bench. Sophomore Derrick Rowland contributed 17 points and has been a big factor over the last five games, averaging 14 points per game, three points up from his season average of 11.

Head coach Ted Hotaling’s three-guard starting five has also included freshman Quashawn Lane, who has been the floor general and a spark of instant offense since returning from an injury that occurred earlier in the season. The Chargers are currently 9-3 since his return. Lane contributed 14 points and came up with three key steals in the win on Saturday. The offense has also benefited from the likes of juniors Roy Kane Jr. and classmate Kelsey Felizor. Kane and Felizor have not only been dominant over the winning streak, but they have played pivotal roles throughout the season. Over the last five games, Felizor is averaging a double-double with 13 points per game to go along with 10 rebounds. Felizor has been an efficient scorer this season as he is shooting 60.8 percent from the field which ranks him fourth in the NE-10 Conference.

Kane, on the other hand, has been putting up the same production as he is averaging 13 points and five rebounds during the same stretch. The most dangerous part about this Charger’s offense is that every member of the starting five has the ability to shoot both the mid-range and the three-point shot, which has created matchup nightmares for opponents this season. When the Chargers are clicking on all cylinders, they have shown to be very hard to stop. Against Stonehill the Chargers shot 50.7 percent from the floor and hit four huge three pointers to help send the game to overtime.    

The Charger’s offense has been highly efficient, but the defense has been taken to a new level. This season, the Charger’s defense is giving up 63.8 points per game and allowing opponents to shoot only 40 percent from the field and a measly 30.3 percent from the three-point line. All of these statistics rank first in the NE-10 Conference and have helped the Chargers become one of the top-ranked defenses in the conference.    

New Haven will put its five-game winning streak on the line when they travel to Franklin Pierce on January 30. The Chargers will return home to Charger Gymnasium on Jan. 2 to face Southern New Hampshire.