WEST HAVEN, Conn. – Three players scored in double figures for the University of New Haven women's basketball team on Tuesday to lead the Chargers to a 10-point, 65-55 victory over Pace at Charger Gymnasium. Senior Alexandria Kerr (Montclair, N.J./Montclair) led the Chargers with 17 points and six steals, one theft shy of her career-high, and junior Micah Wormack (Cumberland, Md./Allegany) scored 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Sophomore Brie Pergola (Torrington, Conn./Torrington) tallied 10 points and four assists, senior Allieyah Cubbage (North Plainfield, N.J./Roselle Catholic) added eight points on 4-of-7 shooting and junior Kim Talley (Quakertown, Pa./Lansdale Catholic) added six points and four rebounds on 3-of-3 shooting. Katia Oge (New City, N.Y./Immaculate Heart Academy), Kerr and Wormack all tied for a team-leading five rebounds. The victory moves New Haven to 6-3 (2-2 NE10) and drops Pace to 3-6 (2-3 NE10).

New Haven opened up the game by shooting 50 percent in the first quarter, and finished the game by outshooting Pace at a 54.3 percent (25-for-46). The Setters shot 40.4 percent for the game (21-for-52) despite a 0-for-18 performance from three-point range.
 

"I think it's a big win for us," said head coach Deborah Buff. "I think our defense has been pretty consistent all year, and getting into early foul trouble tonight really took us out of rhythm. But I do think Kim Talley (Quakertown, Pa./Lansdale Catholic), Sydney Richard (Hooksett, N.H./Bradford Christian Academy), Luzdali Ocasio (Davenport, Fla./New Hampton) and Katia Oge (New City, N.Y./Immaculate Heart Academy) really carried us through that second quarter, so it's really just great to know that we had others able to step up when we had four starters out at one point. That's a very positive thing."

FIRST QUARTER

·         Kerr grabbed a steal and took it to the rim herself for two points to give New Haven its first lead, 6-5 just over four minutes in.

·         After the lead changed hands two more times, Wormack sank a jumper in the paint to put the Chargers back on top 12-11 at the 2:59 mark.

·         Wormack later added a free throw after drawing a foul, then collected a layup in the final minute of the quarter to give the Chargers a 17-14 lead after one.

SECOND QUARTER

·         Talley scored all six of her points in succession on three straight field goals over the first 2:10 of the second quarter to help grow the Chargers lead to seven.

·         Pergola made it 25-18 just over two minutes later after drawing a foul and connecting on two from the charity stripe.

·         Sydney Richard (Hooksett, N.H./Bradford Christian Academy) grew the lead to nine with a jumper at 5:34 on her only field goal attempt of the evening, then Kerr added one from the free throw line on the Chargers next possession to grow the lead to double digits for the first time, 28-18.

·         The two teams traded baskets over the next three minutes as New Haven would get the lead back to 10 on two more occasions off a pair of free throws by sophomore Luzdali Ocasio (Davenport, Fla./New Hampton) and a jumper in the paint by Oge to make it 32-22.

·         Pace ended the half on a 9-2 run over the final 2:01 to cut the deficit down to three, hitting a layup just ahead of the buzzer to make it 34-31 going into the locker room.

THIRD QUARTER

·         After Kerr got the lead back to six with two early baskets in the paint, Pace battled back to knot it up at 39-all at the 6:50 mark.

·         Cubbage and Pace's Alexandra Monteleone traded hoops before Kerr gave New Haven the lead back for good with a layup at 3:55 to make it 42-41.

·         The Chargers scored six of the last eight points of the period as Cubbage, Kerr and Ocasio all contributed layups to bring the lead to 48-43 entering the fourth.

FOURTH QUARTER

·         New Haven's lead would grow to 10 three times over the first five minutes of the fourth, thanks to free throws from Kerr and Pergola, and a Wormack trey at 5:25 to make it 57-47.

·         New Haven embarked on an 8-1 run to grow the lead to a game-high 16 as Cubbage hit consecutive jumpers, and Pergola finished a layup off an Ocasio steal and assist to put the game away at 65-49 with 2:07 remaining.

·         Pace scored the final six points of the game, the last of which came on a layup with 38 seconds remaining.

Next up, the Chargers will head to upstate New York for the second straight weekend for a battle at Le Moyne on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. on NE10 NOW.