After a dominant 87-28 victory over Bard College, the Chargers women’s basketball team faced off against Fairfield University. The Fairfield University Stags beat New Haven in a close matchup, 79-60.
Right after tip-off, the Chargers stayed on pace with Fairfield, but couldn’t hang on for long. Fairfield started to pull away, simply out shooting New Haven to ensure their victory. Fairfield shot 14-for-31 in three pointers while New Haven only shot 6-for-16. Fairfield was secure with the ball, having 12 turnovers versus New Haven’s 28.
“Fairfield is the best team we are going to face. They have outstanding chemistry and shoot as well as any team I have coached against. We played well in the second half and got it down to six. I think fatigue wore in at the end. They are a very physical team. We outscored them in the third, 18-13 and had four in double figures. On the game, we out-rebounded them 37-19. A lot we can build on,” said Head Coach Debbie Buff.
A consistent theme for New Haven all season has been rebounding, and the Chargers showed out again. New Haven dominated the boards, out-rebounding Fairfield 37–19, and pulling down 17 offensive rebounds that helped them earn 13 second-chance points.
Senior Lindsay Hogan grabbed six rebounds along with 11 points, while sophomore guard Schuyler Coles added another 11 points and four assists. Hogan has had a strong start to the season as she’s received two NEC prime performance awards and came off a 27-point and 16-rebound double double against Bard College.
The Chargers battled early, with sophomore forward Addisen Sulikowski setting the tone offensively. Sulikowski delivered a great performance and finished with 18 points, including a perfect 4-for-4 from beyond the arc and five rebounds. Fairfield ended the first quarter up 23–12, but New Haven refused to fold.
Senior forward Aniya McDonald-Perry secured a double-double and played a full 40 minutes of action. She finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while also adding two steals and her usual defensive energy.
The third quarter was New Haven’s strongest period, where they outscored Fairfield, 18–13. The defensive pressure ramped up, ball movement improved and New Haven carved into the Stags’ lead, cutting it to just six points early in the fourth quarter.
Freshman guard Jasmine McKay gave key minutes off the bench and contributed strong perimeter defense and timely buckets in the second half. Freshman forward Teaira Kelley, coming off her perfect 8-for-8 performance against Purchase, added toughness in relief minutes as well.
Despite New Haven’s run, Fairfield responded with late-game threes and capitalized on Charger turnovers to pull away in the final minutes. The Stags shot 51.7% from the field, and scored five three pointers in the final quarter which became the difference down the stretch.
The Chargers now sit at 2–4 overall, with the NEC schedule ahead and plenty of growth showing each game. New Haven will return to action on Tuesday when they travel to face the Siena University St. Bernards. Tune in on ESPN+ or follow along at NewHavenChargers.com for more updates and live coverage.
