WEST HAVEN, Conn. – The University of New Haven men's basketball team (2-3, 1-2 Northeast-10) picked up double digits from three of its starters, but dropped an 82-76 decision to the visiting Adelphi University Panthers in a Southwest Division battle on Tuesday night. Leading the Chargers overall was freshman guard Elijah Bailey (Freeport, N.Y./The Hotchkiss School) who finished with a career-high 22 points, just the second player this season to surpass the 20 point plateau.
Junior Danny Upchurch (Bridgeport, Conn./Notre Dame Catholic) and freshman Kessly Felizor (Hightstown, N.J./Hightstown) joined Bailey in leading the Chargers as they finished with 18 and 14 points, respectively. Of the three leaders Bailey led the shooting efforts, finishing with eight buckets in 13 attempts with two of his field goals from outside the arc. He was also a perfect 4-of-4 at the free throw line.
As a team, New Haven shot 46 percent from the field, making 29-of-63 field goal attempts with six coming from long range. The Chargers also finished 12-of-19 from the free throw line.
New Haven also combined to outrebound the Panthers, finishing with 36 boards compared to 33 for Adelphi. Overall, eight different players got in on the rebounding efforts with Tommy Hunt (Smithfield, R.I./St. Andrew's) and Mihailo Vasic (Novi Sad, Serbia) each leading the team with eight.
FIRST HALF NOTES
· After giving up the opening basket to the Panthers, New Haven scored the next six points and went on to open up as much as a 10 point lead at 21-11 with 13:50 remaining. Overall, the Chargers held on to that lead for nearly 10 minutes.
· New Haven's outside shooting sparked the early advantage, including a pair of three pointers that came within 72 seconds of each other, the second of which came from Michael Bourke (South Orange, N.J./The Hun School of Princeton) and provided the 10 point lead for the Chargers.
· After Adelphi built its largest lead of the first half (39-32) with 3:39 minutes remaining before the break, the Chargers went on an 8-0 run and provided the third lead change of the game when Bailey hit a three pointer with just over a minute and a half left in the first.
· A pair of free throws from Hunt with just under a minute remaining would be the final points of the half for New Haven, while a layup from the Panthers Chris Millender provided the margin at the break 44-42.
· Leading the Blue and Gold in the first half was Bailey who finished with 14 points, making five of his eight field goal attempts, including a pair of three pointers. Upchurch closed out the first half with 10 points.
SECOND HALF NOTES
· After again giving up the first bucket of the half to the Panthers, New Haven again went on a run, this time scoring five unanswered all of which came from Felizor and tied the game at 47.
· Just over three minutes later the Chargers would regain an advantage when a steal from Vasic led to a fast break layup from Upchurch and a 51-50 Charger lead. The Blue and Gold would maintain that lead over the next six minutes, growing it to as much as five which came on a Bailey jumper.
· Adelphi would regain the lead for good with just under 10 minutes remaining in the game. The Chargers got as close as two, 71-69, thanks to a Vasic second chance layup, but the Panthers answered right back with a three pointer just 15 seconds later.
· Felizor led the Chargers scoring in the second half, the only player to put double figure up over the final 20 minutes, finishing with 10 on 4-of-7 shooting. Just behind him was Bailey and Upchurch who each contributed eight points.
· Vasic closed out the second half with a team-high seven rebounds, leading the Chargers to a 22-19 rebounding edge in the period.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
· Bailey's 22 points is a season-high for all players and just the second time this season a Charger has finished with 20 or more. The first came in the last game when Upchurch finished with 20.
· Overall, 64 of the Chargers 76 total points came from players that were not on the Chargers bench last season. The only points which came from returning players were six each from Hunt and Bourke.
· The eight rebounds each from Hunt and Vasic that led New Haven broke a streak for Felizor who has led the team in rebounding in each of the first four games of the season.
· Upchurch's 18 points is the fourth game, of five total, that he has finished in double figures. He increased his team-leading average in scoring to 15.2 points per game.
· New Haven committed 11 turnovers against the Panthers, a season low for the Chargers.
TWEETABLES (140 characters or less)
· FR guard Elijah Bailey (Freeport, N.Y./The Hotchkiss School) netted a career-high 22 points, the most for any player this season for @GoChargersMBB
· Bailey not only led @GoChargersMBB in scoring but he also led the Blue and Gold shooting 8-of-13 overall and 4-of-4 at the FT line
· @GoChargersMBB JR point guard Danny Upchurch (Bridgeport, Conn./Notre Dame Catholic) finished with in double figures and with at least six assists for the fourth time this season
· 64 of .@GoChargersMBB's 76 total points came from new players on the team in 2017-17
NEXT ON TAP
New Haven will take a one-game break from Northeast-10 Conference play when they travel to Brookville, N.Y. to meet the LIU Post Pioneers on Sunday, November 27. The lone weekend game for the Chargers is scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. tip at the Pioneers Pratt Recreation Center.
