WEST HAVEN – The University of New Haven women’s basketball team struggles continue with their inabilities to shot from behind the three-point line, as they fell to the Merrimack College Warriors on Saturday afternoon 81-72.

The Chargers jumped out to an eight nothing lead to start the game but the Warriors chipped away at the lead over the next four minutes to take the lead 13-12 with 13:22 left to play in the opening half. The Warriors built a lead of five over next six minutes to 21-15. Over the final six minutes of the first half the Chargers kept trimming the lead and eventually taking a four point going to the half when Dominique Stellmacher hit a running three at the buzzer to give UNH a 34-30 lead.

The second half was filled with lead changes and ties through the first 15 minutes with not team being able to build a lead larger than six points. The back and forth action lead to 21 lead changes and eight ties through the entire game. Both teams started to heat up from the floor with both teams shooting over 45 percent from the floor. With three-pointer by Casey Miller with 4:27 left the Warriors took the lead for good at 65-63. That story of the second half was the Warriors ability to make the three-point shot, 6-8 in the second half and the Chargers in ability, 1-8. The Warriors kept coming at the Chargers and they could not recover. The Warriors lead climbed to nine with 90 seconds left on jumper by Gennifer Roy.

UNH was led by Helen Marte with 25 points, one short of her career high, on 10-13 from the field and 5-7 from the free throw line. The Chargers shot 46 percent from the field for the game but only 23 percent from three-point range.

Four of Merrimack’s five starters were double figures. Lead by Gennifer Roy with 23 points, Casey Miller with 16, Kelly Schatzlein had 13 and Tiffany Colon added 11 points and six rebounds. The Warriors shot 53 percent from the field for the game with a 38 percent clip from behind the arc.

With six games left in the regular season the Lady Chargers will look to get back on track and start making a push up the standings during the month of February. With four of their last seven at home the Chargers will look to capitalize on playing on their home court. There are some winnable games down the stretch when they host Southern Connecticut State and American International. There also some tough games with St. Rose and Pace, both top five teams on conference, coming to Charger Gymnasium.