New Haven at Le Moyne
Wednesday, Nov. 19 - 5:00 p.m.
Syracuse, N.Y. - Ted Grant Court
Game Coverage: Video | Live Stats
Complete Game Notes (PDF)
Opening Tip
Two straight non-conference victories opened the 2014-15 campaign for the Chargers, first over No. 16 Bloomsburg and then again at Saint Thomas Aquinas. Northeast-10 Conference play starts for New Haven against 2-0 Le Moyne, the thrid of four-straight road contests for the Blue and Gold.
Le Moyne also opened its season with a pair of non-conference wins against Bridgeport and Molloy in the UB Basketball Classic.
Poll Position
New Haven was selected atop the Southwest Division in the Northeast-10 Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Chargers garnered 10 first-place votes on the annual ledger, which is voted upon by the conference's 15 head coaches.
New Haven totaled 84 points in the poll to edge out Adelphi for the top spot. The Panthers picked up the remaining five first-place tallies en route to 81 points. Rounding out the Southwest are Le Moyne (58 points), American International (56), Saint Rose (46), Pace (27) and Southern Connecticut State (19).
On the national level, the Chargers are unranked but receiving votes in the preseason edition of the USA Today Sports NCAA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll. The Chargers opening game opponent, No. 16 Bloomsburg is one of two New Haven opponents ranked on the ledger - defending NCAA Champion Bentley slots at No. 5 with 11 first-place votes. The Northeast-10 is also represented in the "other receiving votes" column by Adelphi and Stonehill.
Scouting Report
The Le Moyne women's basketball team is looking to improve from last season's 15-13 record, a year in which the Dolphins won their first Northeast-10 Conference postseason game since the 2007-08 season. Second-year head coach Gina Castelli helped the team to a 9-win improvement over the previous season.
Five seniors return for the Dolphins, including last year's leading scorer and Third Team All-Northeast-10 Conference selection Alex Marple. She continues to lead the team this season with 20.0 points and 2.5 assists in 30.5 minutes of play.
Other returners include senior forward Emily Greer (11.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg), senior guard Maddie Hahesy (6.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg), senior forward Bath-Sheba McMahon (5.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg), and junior forward Vandell Andrade (8.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg). Junior forward Maggie Brown has come off the bench in each of the previous two openings this season to contribute 11.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game as well.
The Dolphins opened the season with a pair of come-from-behind wins, first a 68-63 victrory over the University of Bridgeport and then a 75-61 rally to defeat Molloy.
Last Meeting
New Haven and Le Moyne met twice in the 2013-14 season, and the home team prevailed in each meeting. New Haven took the first meeting 69-54 at Charger Gymnasium in late November before falling to the Dolphins in Syracuse 71-63 in early February.
Four Dolphins scored in the double figures the last time these teams met, led by Emily Greer's double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds. New Haven's Aquillin Hayes answered with a double-double of her own, putting up 15 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.
All-Time Series
Le Moyne currently holds a 12-10 edge over New Haven in the all-time series. The Chargers are 10-3 against the Dolphins since joining the Northeast-10 conference in 2008.
Prior to last seasons split, New Haven had won four-of-six meetings, including both matchups in the 2012-13 season.
New Haven Notes
The Chargers have started 2-0 under second-year head coach Ty Grace for second year in a row. The team never trailed in the season opener against No. 16 Bloomsburg and then traveled to Saint Thomas Aquinas for a 79-57 victory over the Spartans.
Leading the Chargers so far this season is senior guard Aquillin Hayes. An Honorable Mention All-America selection by the WBCA and the Women's Division II Bulletin, Hayes has a double-double in each of the first two games. Her 25 points with 10 rebounds against Bloomsburg and 23 points with 14 rebounds against Saint Thomas Aquinas was good enough to earn her Northeast-10 Player of the Week honors. She is shooting and impressive 60.6% from the floor, while handing out 2.0 assists and rejecting 2.0 blocks per outing.
Junior guard Briana Bradford has picked up where she left off last year as an All-Northeast-10 Honorable Mention, so far averaging 13.5 points and 5.5 rebounds for the Chargers. Last year, Bradford recorded 13.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, while knocking down a team-leading 36 three-pointers.
West Haven native and three-year starter Bria Moore has contributed 10.5 points on 58.3% shooting through the first two contests of 2014-15, improving her career number to 40 points shy of 1,000. She has also contributed 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists this year.
With an increased role in 2014-15, Elizabeth Cruso has started both games so far while averaging 7.5 points, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Her hot hand from three-point territory has been valuable as she is shooting 75-percent from beyond the arc.
Senior forward Ashley Leblanc came off the bench against Bloomsburg, but her 10 points and seven rebounds in that contest earned her the start against Saint Thomas Aquinas. She is a force down low as 12 of her 13 rebounds have come on the defensive end.
Another contributor this season is junior guard Lauren Hebert. After averaging 3.2 points and 2.1 rebounds per game as a sophomore, she has netted 9.0 points per game to start this season while grabbing seven total rebounds and two assists.
The Schedule
The Chargers' 26-game slate for 2014-15 is highlighted by trips to Pennsylvania and Delaware, while 12 games will be played within the confines of Charger Gymnasium.
The schedule opened on Nov. 14 with a 82-66 win at Bloomsburg and another victory two days later in a 79-57 contest at Saint Thomas Aquinas on Nov. 16. The Chargers open Northeast-10 Southwest Division action at Le Moyne on Nov. 19 and at Pace on Nov. 22. The Blue and Gold take the court at Charger Gymnasiums for the first time American International on Nov. 25.
The Chargers head south after Thanksgiving for a tilt with Goldey-Beacom in Wilmington, Delaware on Nov. 29 for the first-ever meeting between New Haven and the CACC squad. The non-conference schedule continues at home against Dowling on Dec. 3, looking to improve on their 12-7 all-time record versus the Chargers. Getting back to Northeast-10 Conference play, the Chargers travel to Garden City, N.Y. to face the Panthers of Adelphi on Dec. 6. Following an 11-day hiatus for final exams, the Chargers are back in action on the road in Albany, New York at Saint Rose on Dec. 17.
After playing six of their first nine games on the road, the Chargers return home for three contests. The Chargers of Dominican come to Charger Gymnasium for a non-conference game on Dec. 20. The calendar year concludes with a non-conference clash against NE-10 foe Saint Anselm on Dec. 31, while crosstown rival Southern Connecticut State comes to Charger Gymnasium to tip-off 2015 and complete the first trip through the NE-10 Southwest Division on Jan. 3. The Chargers then travel to Manchester, New Hampshire to meet Saint Anselm for the second time in eight days on Jan. 7 – this time in NE-10 cross-divisional action. The bouts against the NE-10 Northeast continue at home with outings against Assumption on Jan. 10 and Saint Michael's on Jan. 13. After visiting Franklin Pierce on Jan. 17, the Blue and Gold remain on the road to challenge Bentley – the reigning NCAA Division II National Champion – on Jan. 21.
Facing their fifth and sixth NE-10 Northeast Division contender in a row, the Chargers visit Stonehill on Jan. 24 and Southern New Hampshire on Jan 27. The Chargers close out January with a trip to North Andover, Massachusetts to face the Merrimack Warriors on Jan. 31. The Blue and Gold then make the shortest road trip of the season with a Feb. 4 contest at Southern Connecticut State. The clash with the Owls starts New Haven's second trip through the NE-10 Southwest Division.
The Chargers wrap up the regular season with home contests against Saint Rose and Le Moyne on Feb. 7 and Feb. 10, trips to Pace and American International on Feb. 14 and Feb. 18, and the final game of the 2014-15 regular season at Charger Gymnasium on Feb. 24 with a visit from Adelphi.
The top five teams from each division qualify for the NE-10 postseason, which begins with the First Round on Friday, Feb. 27. The NE-10 Championship Game is set for Sunday, March 8.
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Up Next
New Haven continues its Northeast-10 Conference slate at Pace in Pleasantville, N.Y. on Saturday, Nov. 22. Tipoff against the Setters is set for 1:30 p.m.
