New Haven at Pace
Saturday, Nov. 22 - 1:30 p.m.
Pleasantville, N.Y. - Goldstein Fitness Center
Game Coverage: Video | Live Stats
Complete Game Notes (PDF)
Opening Tip
The Chargers look to complete their road trip with their fourth straight wins to start the season, while the Setters look to get their first victory in 2014. The game marks the second Northeast-10 Conference Southwest Division matchup for both teams this season.
Last Time Out
New Haven opened its Northeast-10 Conference Southwest Division slate with a 65-62 victory at Le Moyne on Wednesday night.
With the victory, New Haven begins a season at 3-0 for the second consecutive year and just the second time since 1999-2000.
Aquillin Hayes controlled the action for the Chargers with her third 20-point, 10-rebound performance of the young season. The Harlem, N.Y. native recorded a near triple-double with 24 points, 16 rebounds and seven blocked shots.
Lauren Hebert joined Hayes in double figures with 12 points off the bench, including a pair of three-point field goals. Sade King was also strong in a reserve role with nine tallies sparked by two from downtown.
Briana Bradford added eight points for the Chargers, who shot 19-of-54 (35.2 percent) from the field, 4-of-11 (36.4 percent) from three-point range and 23-of-31 (74.2 percent) from the free throw line. Rounding out the scoring for the Blue and Gold was Ashley LeBlanc with six points, Bria Moore with four and Rykema Stone with two.
Hayes' 16 rebounds powered New Haven to a 51-42 advantage on the glass. LeBlanc collected eight caroms, while Stone and Hebert nabbed seven apiece.
Scouting Report
The Pace women's basketball team has dropped their first three contests so far in the young 2014-15 season, first losing by five to the New York Institute of Technology in the season opener and then a 58-56 heartbreaker to LIU Post. The Setters lost to Saint Rose by a score of 26-54 leading up to their game against New Haven.
Leading the team is senior guard Margo Hackett, putting up 12.3 points per game with four rebounds. Her nine three-pointers this season puts her at 5th place on Pace's all-time list with 122 treys. Gabriella Rubin is close behind, averaging 12 points with 3.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists so far this year while Yuni Sher has made her presence known underneath the basket with 7.3 points and eight rebounds.
Last Meeting
The two teams met twice during the 2013-14 campaign with the Chargers coming away with both victories. The last meeting was held at Charger Gymnasium on February 15, 2014 when the Chargers won 56-42. Aquillin Hayes led New Haven with 16 points, seven rebounds and four blocks, while Rykema Stone added eight points, four blocks and 13 rebounds. The 42 points given up by the Chargers was a season-low and the Setters only managed to shoot 23.8% from the floor.
All-Time Series
Pace currently holds the lead in the all-time series with a record of 19-6. Chargers head coach Ty Grace is 2-0 against them in her short career.
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. 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.
New Haven Notes
New Haven has jumped out to a hot start in 2014 with three road wins to open the season. A dominating win over No. 16 Bloomsburg preceded a 79-57 victory over Saint Thomas Aquinas. New Haven then won its first Northeast-10 contest against Le Moyne by a score of 65-62 on Wednesday night.
Senior guard Aquillin Hayes is a big reason for New Haven's success so far this season. The Preseason WBCA All-America Honorable Mention has a double-double in each of her first three games, averaging 24 points and 13.3 rebounds. Her best performance so far was at Le Moyne when she put up 24 points and grabbed 16 boards in Syracuse.
Briana Bradford has picked up where she left off last year as an All-Northeast-10 Honorable Mention, so far averaging 11.7 points and four rebounds for the Chargers. Last year, Bradford put up 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 8.3 points and 4.7 rebounds the first three contests, closing the gap to 36 points away from entering the 1,000-point club for New Haven. She has also added five assists, three blocks and a steal in her senior season.
Elizabeth Cruso again increases her role on this team as a senior. The Westerly, Rhode Island native has started all three games, while averaging 5.0 points, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals. Her hot hand from three-point territory has been valuable as she is shooting 60% from beyond the arc.
Senior Ashley Leblanc came off the bench to start the season but has since made her way into the starting lineup. The senior forward has put up an average of 7.3 points and 7.0 rebounds this year while having a consistent defensive presence for the Chargers.
Another contributor so far this season is junior Lauren Hebert. After averaging 3.2 points and 2.1 rebounds per game as a sophomore, she has netted 10 points per game this year while grabbing 7.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists. She is also a threat from long-range with 66 percent efficiency from long range this season.
Up Next
The Chargers finally open their 2014-15 home schedule next week when American International visits on Tuesday, Nov. 25 for a 5:30 p.m. tilt at Charger Gymnasium. UNH will then travel to Wilmington, Del. for a non-conference clash with Goldey-Beacom following the Thanksgiving holiday.
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.
