BOX SCORE Box Score

WALTHAM, Mass. – The University of New Haven women’s basketball team received a game-high 16 points from Audrey Cunningham, but fell short on the road to No. 19 nationally ranked Bentley University on Wednesday evening. The Falcons defeated the Chargers by the final score of 59-39 at Dana Gymnasium.

With the loss, the Chargers dropped to 2-10 on the season and 1-7 in NE-10 Conference competition. The Falcons stayed hot and improved to 11-1, 8-0 in the league.

The first half featured a lightning fast start from the nationally ranked Falcons. After a quick basket underneath from Lauren Boivin, Bentley ignited on a 15-0 run over the next seven minutes of play. Following the Falcon surge, Audrey Cunningham cut into the Charger deficit with a pair of three-pointers, but UNH couldn’t stop the conference’s top ranked offense. Bentley outscored New Haven 13-6 in the closing minutes, capturing a 33-14 advantage at the break.

Kim Brennan led all scorers at halftime, pouring in nine points on 4-7 shooting including one from downtown. Cunningham finished with eight points on two from long distance and a pair of free-throws, leading the way for the visiting Chargers.

The Falcons picked up right where they left off in the first half, opening the second stanza on a 9-0 run. From that point on, Bentley was able to cruise a comfortable victory and extend its current win streak to 10 games.

Cunningham fared well on the offensive end, dropping 16 points on 5-9 shooting for the Chargers. Anh-Dao Tran added seven points and six assists, while Jill Baranger chimed in with four points and 10 rebounds.

Turnovers plagued the Chargers in this one, as Bentley forced 24 of them and held New Haven to 28 percent shooting from the floor.

The Chargers return to action on Saturday, January 8 when they play host to the University of Massachusetts Lowell. The game will tip off at 3:30 p.m. at Charger Gymnasium.