WEST HAVEN, CONN. – The University of New Haven women's basketball team used a dazzling defensive effort as the Chargers upended the Dowling Golden Lions 71-42 in a non-conference matchup on Wednesday night.

New Haven is now 6-1 on the season while the Golden Lions drop to 0-5.

Aquillin Hayes (Harlem, N.Y./Wings Academy) led the Chargers with 21 points and nine rebounds. Bria Moore (West Haven, Conn./Hill Regional Career) added 17 points including hitting on 8-of-9 shots from the free throw line.

In a defensive battle, UNH jumped out to a 9-0 lead on the strength of five points from Briana Bradford (Waterbury, Conn./Holy Cross) and layups by Hayes and Rykema Stone (Bronx, N.Y./Wings Academy).  The Chargers pushed the lead to 12-2 before allowing the Golden Lions their first field goal of the night more than six minutes in. After expanding the lead to 34-13 on a pair of free throws by Quana Smith (Bronx, N.Y./Harry S. Truman) with just under two minutes remaining in the first half, the Blue and Gold took a 34-16 lead into intermission.

The second half saw Hayes light up from the floor as the senior hit on six out of eight shots on her way to 16 points in the frame.

For the game, New Haven held the Dowling to just 25.8% (16-for-62) from the field and 2-for-27 from beyond the arc. The Chargers also notched a season-high 53 rebounds including career-highs from Smith who pulled in seven boards while India Dotson (Akron, Ohio/Frederick (Md.) / Monmouth University) and Sade King (Mount Vernon, N.Y./Mount Vernon / Hampton University) set new personal bests with six caroms each. Dotson also recorded a career-high with three blocks.

New Haven now faces a stern road test in Garden City, N.Y. when they square off against #16 Adelphi in a Northeast-10 Conference tilt on Saturday at 1:30 pm.