Highlights (YouTube)

WEST HAVEN, Conn. – The University of New Haven women's basketball team jumped out to a 12-2 lead against the visiting Le Moyne College Dolphins and never looked back en route to a 69-54 victory. Aquillin Hayes (Harlem, N.Y./Wings Academy) posted her first double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

With the victory, New Haven begins a season at 3-0 for the first time since 1999-2000 and moves to 2-0 in the Northeast-10. The Dolphins suffer their first setback of the winter, dropping to 3-1 with an 0-1 conference mark.

Hayes' 14 points came on 5-for-10 shooting from the field and 4-for-5 from the charity stripe as she shared the game-high with Le Moyne's Maggie Brown. Hayes also collected 10 total rebounds, nine of the defensive variety. Joining Hayes in double figures were Briana Bradford (Waterbury, Conn./Holy Cross) and Elizabeth Cruso (Westerly, R.I./Westerly) with 11 points each and Bria Moore (West Haven, Conn./Hill Regional Career), who added 10 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Ayana Duncanson (Elmont, N.Y./Francis Lewis) also collected 10 boards while netting six points and two blocks. Rykema Stone (Bronx, N.Y./Wings Academy) posted nine points and seven rebounds.

Rounding out the scoring for the Chargers was Lauren Hebert (North Reading, Mass./North Reading) with four points and a field goal apiece from Jasmine Gibson (Brooklyn, N.Y./Spring Valley) and Audrey Cunningham (Germantown, Md./Seneca Valley).

As a team, New Haven shot 24-for-44 (54.5 percent) from the field, 3-for-9 (33.3 percent) from beyond the arc and 18-for-25 (72 percent) from the line. The Chargers collected 32 points in the paint and 22 bench points.

UNH outrebounded the Dolphins, 41-22. The Chargers committed 26 turnovers, due in part to Le Moyne's full-court pressure, but also burned the stretched Dolphins' defense for 11 fast-break points. New Haven forced 15 Le Moyne giveaways, converting them into 11 points.

Le Moyne was led by Brown's 14 points, and Tessa Pucello added 10 points. Brown and Emily Greer collected six rebounds apiece. The Dolphins shot 22-for-60 (36.7 percent) from the field, 4-for-15 (26.7 percent) from distance and 6-for-10 (60 percent) from the line.

The Blue and Gold jumped out to a 12-2 lead midway the first half as six different Chargers netted field goals over the opening stretch. The advantage held for the remainder of the first half, with a Hayes bucket in the closing seconds extending the margin to 14 points entering the intermission at 29-15.

Moore led all players with eight points over the opening 20 minutes, including a pair of three-pointers, and Duncanson tore down eight boards in the period.

The lead grew to a game-high 15 points at 35-20 on a Stone free throw with 16:23 left. The cushion remained in double figures for all but 41 seconds of the half, and the Chargers sank 15-of-16 free throws over the final 2:23 to ice the 69-54 triumph.

Cruso (7-for-7) and Bradford (6-for-6) were both perfect from the stripe as each guard tallied 11 second-half points. Hayes amassed seven points and seven boards after halftime.

The Chargers will now embark on a five-game swing away from Charger Gymnasium. The trip begins with an NE-10 Southwest Division contest at Pace on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 1:30 p.m. New Haven will then visit American International before a two-game stretch in Florida for the Rollins Thanksgiving Tournament and a meeting at Dowling, a 2012-13 NCAA National Finalist.