BOX SCORE Box Score
WEST HAVEN, Conn. – After enjoying some time off for the holiday season, the University of New Haven women’s basketball team resumed competition with a non-conference match-up against Felician College on Thursday night. Unfortunately, the Chargers fell short to the Golden Falcons by the final score of 81-73 at Charger Gymnasium. Senior Nicole Pollard registered a game-high 19 points in the losing effort.
With the loss, the Chargers dropped to 2-8 on the season, concluding their difficult non-conference schedule for the campaign. The Golden Falcons extended its winning streak to eight games, improving to 8-1 on the year.
The visiting Golden Falcons took control early on in this one, as they raced out to a 13-3 lead over the first three minutes of action. However, after a timeout by head coach Jessica Smith, the Chargers battled back with a 6-0 run to cut into their deficit. The two teams exchanged baskets until the midway mark, where Felician held a 21-14 advantage.
New Haven chipped away and reduced the Golden Falcon lead to just one point after a lay-up by Yasmin Ithier-Vicenty. Unfortunately, Felician closed the half with an 11-2 run, taking a 34-24 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Ithier-Vicenty led all Chargers with eight points on 3-of-5 shooting and hauled in four rebounds in the opening stanza. Two key statistics in the first half proved to be turnovers and free-throws. UNH turned the ball over 15 times and Felician knocked down 9-of-10 from the charity stripe.
After the intermission, the Golden Falcons’ lead fluctuated from 10-14 points until the midway mark of the second half. With less than 10 minutes left in regulation, Anh-Dao Tran sparked a 14-6 run, eliminating the double-digit deficit. Tran scored 10 of the 12 points during the span, leaving the Chargers just five points behind with eight minutes remaining.
Despite the surge, Quay Baskerville and the Golden Falcons were too tough on the offensive end. Felician once again opened up its double-digit lead and held off the Chargers’ press in the final minutes. Felician handed UNH its fourth consecutive home loss of the season.
Pollard led all scorers with 19 points going 6-of-14 from the floor, including three from downtown. She also added four assists and three steals to her stat line. Ithier-Vicenty poured in 15 points and eight rebounds, while Tran and Jill Baranger each poured double-figures with 13 and 10 respectively.
The Chargers return to action on Sunday, January 2 when they travel across town to Southern Connecticut State University. The game will tip off at 1:30 p.m. at Moore Field House.
