RINDGE, N.H. – Danny Upchurch (Bridgeport, Conn./Notre Dame Catholic) hit a driving layup with 1:11 remaining, which proved to be the game-winner as the University of New Haven men's basketball team withstood a second half Franklin Pierce comeback to beat the Ravens 61-60 in a Northeast-10 Conference game on Wednesday night. New Haven is now 10-7 overall and 5-6 in the NE10.

After Franklin Pierce scored the first bucket of the game, the Chargers jumped out to a hot start, getting six points each from Roy Kane, Jr. (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk) and Michael Bourke (South Orange, N.J./The Hun School of Princeton) in a 14-0 run during a stretch of just 2:31 to take a 14-2 lead at the 15:51 mark of the first half. New Haven maintained the double digit lead until there were five minutes remaining in the half. Ravens baskets sliced the lead to eight on a pair of occasions, but the Blue and Gold recovered to take a 40-29 lead into halftime.

A quick start to the second half for Franklin Pierce chopped the Chargers lead to 42-38 just five minutes into the period before a layup by Mihailo Vasic (Novi Sad, Serbia) and a pair of Bourke free throws pushed the lead back to eight on back-to-back trips down the floor. Franklin Pierce challenged immediately, as a stretch of four three-pointers in a span of 1:56 gave the Ravens a 52-51 lead at the 8:49 mark. Franklin Pierce continued to hold a slim lead through the majority of the waning minutes. Trailing by one, New Haven took the lead back on a driving layup by Danny Upchurch (Bridgeport, Conn./Notre Dame Catholic) with 1:11 left. The Chargers were able to make one last defensive stop as a three-pointer with three seconds left was off the mark, as New Haven held on for the win.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Kane tallied a career-high with 17 points in the game, connecting on three treys.
• Upchurch had 13 points, six assists and five rebounds. Bourke scored 14 and Vasic had 10. Kessly Felizor (Hightstown, N.J./Hightstown) led all players with 13 rebounds, seven on the offensive glass.
• The Chargers connected on 14-of-15 shots from the free throw line.  

FIRST HALF NOTES

• Kane and Upchurch each had 11 points in the half with Kane knocking down a trio of three-pointers.
• Felizor had 10 rebounds in the opening 20 minutes.
• The Chargers hit six of their first 10 shots to open a 16-5 lead less than six minutes in.
• A triple by Kane at the 8:58 mark gave New Haven its largest lead of the half at 25-9.
• New Haven outrebounded the Ravens 21-13.

SECOND HALF NOTES

• The Ravens connected on six triples in the half, including four in a span of 1:56 to take their first lead since the opening basket of the game with just more than nine minutes left.
• New Haven held Franklin Pierce without a field goal for the final 5:47.
• Trailing 60-59, Upchurch scored the winning basket with 1:11 to go.

UP NEXT
New Haven returns to Charger Gymnasium for the first of back-to-back home games, taking on the Southern New Hampshire Penmen on Saturday, Jan. 21 in a Northeast-10 Conference contest. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.