WEST HAVEN, Conn. – The University of New Haven women's basketball team tipped-off the 2017-18 season with an overtime win at Charger Gymnasium on Friday evening, taking down non-conference opponent, East Stroudsburg, 88-85.
 
In a game that saw eight ties and fifteen lead changes, Junior Alex Kerr led the Chargers with 21 points and eight rebounds, and classmate Allieyah Cubbage (North Plainfield, N.J./Roselle Catholic) added 19 points and five rebounds for New Haven. Among the leaders in scoring was junior Katia Oge (New City, N.Y./Immaculate Heart Academy) who netted 17 points and nine rebounds, seven of them on the offensive end. Freshman Brie Pergola (Torrington, Conn./Torrington) had the helping hand with a team-high five assists on the night.
 
As a team, New Haven used 24 second chance points and 23 offensive rebounds on the night to help earn the victory, and forced 26 turnovers on the evening while limiting themselves to 23.
 
The Warriors started off the first quarter with a 12-6 run, and held that lead through the remainder of the first quarter. New Haven tied the game up at 20 with a layup by Khayla Trowell (Temple Hills, Md./Elizabeth Seton Catholic) who was fouled and sank the free throw to take the Chargers first lead of the game. Kerr hit the last New Haven basket of the half to bring the lead to 38-35 at the half.
 
New Haven used a 12-3 run early in the fourth quarter to gain a 10-point advantage over the Warriors, leading 65-56. East Stroudsburg got back into the game with an 8-0 run that stretched just under a minute to even the game back up at 76 points apiece. Kerr drained two straight free throws that were exchanged for a Warrior basket as the teams went into overtime knotted at 78.
 
After a Warrior three-pointer put East Stroudsburg ahead, New Haven caught fire with a 7-0 run put together by Pergola, Kerr and Cubbage to give the Chargers a six-point lead. That run was all the Chargers would need as East Stroudsburg could not catch up, despite two made free throws and a late bucket.
 
The victory for the Chargers comes as the first win against a PSAC opponent since the 2014-15 season opener when the Chargers downed the 16^th ranked Bloomsburg Huskies, 82-66.
 
New Haven returns to the floor with another non-conference game at Saint Thomas Aquinas on Wednesday, November 15^th. Tip-off against the Spartans is set for 5:30 pm.