WEST HAVEN, Conn. – The University of New Haven men’s basketball team suffered a 51-66 loss to Southern Connecticut State University Saturday afternoon at Charger Gymnasium. With the loss, the Chargers dropped to 14-11 overall and 10-11 in the Northeast-10 Conference. The Owls improved to 13-12 overall and 11-10 in conference play.
New Haven dropped into a tie for ninth place in the conference standings, while the Owls moved into a tie for fifth place.
Eric Anderson (Newark, N.J./Newark Tech) led the Chargers with nine points and nine rebounds, while Ade Barek (London, England/West Catholic / Saint Petersburg College) added eight and eight. Samir McDaniels (Roxbury, Mass./New Mission) contributed six points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
The Chargers scored the first point on Saturday, but SCSU was the first to jump out to a lead. The Owls scored 11 of the first 17 points and lead by five at the 15:24 mark. The Chargers, on numerous occasions, closed Southern’s lead to just one point, but never regained the lead in the first half. Samir McDaniels (Roxbury, Mass./New Mission) put in a layup at the 3:25 mark to cut the difference to one point, 28-29. Southern Connecticut State then sparked a 6-0 run to close the half and lead 35-28 at the break.
Ade Barek (London, England/West Catholic / Saint Petersburg College) connected on the first basket of the second half to cut Southern’s lead to five points, 35-30. The Owls then went on an 18-6 run over the next seven minutes to take a commanding 17-point, 53-36, lead with just over 10 minutes remaining. In the next five minutes, the Owls’ lead would expand to 19 points. With 4:06 left in regulation, Eric Anderson (Newark, N.J./Newark Tech) sparked an 8-0 run for the Chargers, closing the Owls’ lead to 11 points at the 3:04 mark. In the closing minutes, the Chargers struggled with turnovers and shooting as Southern Connecticut State cruised to the victory.
The Chargers held a 47-31 advantage on the boards, while also turning the ball over 14 times. UNH also lead with 17 second-chance points, while SCSU held a 17-8 advantage in points off turnovers. New Haven struggled shooting just 34-percent from the floor, while the Owls were propelled with 46-percent shooting.
New Haven will travel to the College of Saint Rose for its final regular season game on Tuesday, February 21. Game time in Albany, N.Y. is set for 7:30 p.m. With a win, the Chargers are guaranteed their first postseason berth since 2006-07 and the first time since joining the Northeast-10 Conference. For complete coverage, stay posted to www.NewHavenChargers.com.
