Game Details: Saturday, December 8 | 1 p.m.
Location: Ted Grant Court | Syracuse, N.Y.
Game Links: Watch Live | Live Stats
Twitter: @UNHChargers | @NewHavenwbb
New Haven Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats | Game Notes (PDF)
Le Moyne Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats
THE FIRST LOOK
The University of New Haven women's basketball team will hit the road to upstate New York for the second straight weekend as they will look to make it two wins in a row against Le Moyne. Both teams are coming off midweek wins at home. The Chargers took down Pace by a 65-55 final on Tuesday, while Le Moyne defeated Mansfield 80-66. The Dolphins also beat Pace last Saturday at home in a dominating 73-38 final.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Saturday serves as the 31st meeting between the two squads. Le Moyne holds a slight edge in the all-time series, 17-14.
Over the last three seasons, New Haven is 2-4 against the Dolphins, including a 1-3 mark at Le Moyne, with each of those two wins coming in the 2015-16 season.
New Haven dropped the earlier game of the series this season, falling to the Dolphins by ten points (65-55) at Charger Gymnasium on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017. New Haven later dropped the regular season finale 63-52, with Micah Wormack (Cumberland, Md./Allegany) leading the way with 13 points. Wormack led the Chargers in scoring in both games.
SCOUTING THE CHARGERS
There's a new buzz around women's basketball at New Haven and it got a boost after the Chargers opened the season with a perfect 2-0 performance at the UB Conference Crossover Classic. The team embarked on a three-game trip to the Puerto Rico Classic, where they went 2-1. First year head coach Debbie Buff's squad is led by senior guard Alexandria Kerr (Montclair, N.J./Montclair), who has been averaging right around a double-double all season, currently holding 16.6 and 9.9 rebounds per game. She has also put up major numbers on the defensive end where she has 37 total steals, ranking tied for first in the NE10 with 4.1 per game. She collected a career-high seven against UPR-Bayamon and added six on Wednesday against Pace. Kerr has scored in double figures five times, surpassing the 20-point plateau on a pair of occasions, as well as one 30-point performance against Southern Connecticut.
Joining her in leading the way is freshman Camryn DeBose (Wellington, Fla./Wellington Community) who is averaging 10.6 ppg, who opened up the year scoring in double figures in the first four games, including a season-high 19 points in the season-opener against Bridgeport. Much of the Chargers early success can be attributed to a stifling defense that limited the first two opponents to 31 and 46 points, while forcing an average of 23.8 turnovers per game and turning those into an average of 22 points per game.
New Haven is holding opponents to 55.4 points per game this season, the third lowest mark in the NE10. On Nov. 28, New Haven held a previously unbeaten Southern Connecticut squad to just 29.7 percent from the field and 8-for-30 from three-point range. The Chargers shot 56 percent in the second half, including a 61.5 percent (8-for-13) clip in the fourth quarter en route to a 13-point win.
New Haven was not able to replicate that same success last weekend at Saint Rose, allowing the Golden Knights to shoot 50 percent from the floor in a 65-53 setback, but bounced back against Pace on Wednesday by holding the Setters to 55 points and an 0-for-18 mark from three-point range.
SCOUTING THE DOLPHINS
Le Moyne will enter Saturday on a two-game winning streak with a 6-2 overall record and a 3-2 mark in NE10 play. Le Moyne ranks fifth in the NE10 by scoring 68.1 ppg and allowing 58.1 points ppg. The Dolphins are also fifth in rebounding margin (+7.1), sitting just ahead of sixth-ranked New Haven (+4.9). McKayla Roberts leads the team by scoring 17.6 points per ballgame with Cameron Tooley (10.5) and Corinne Poitvien scoring 10.4. Poitevien is leading the way with 7.5 rebounds per contest, while Roberts boasts an impressive 5.5 assists per game.
Le Moyne and New Haven are each 2-2 against their four common opponents this season. New Haven fell at home by six to Adelphi and won by 13 at Southern Connecticut, while the Dolphins took down Adelphi by 12 on their home court, but lost by two at SCSU. Each team suffered a defeat last week at Saint Rose.
NEXT ON TAP
The Chargers will play their final game before a break for final exams and the holidays this coming Tuesday at home against NE10 Southwest Division foe American Int'l. The 5:30 p.m. tipoff can be watched live on Chargers Sports Network on NE10 NOW.
For complete coverage of the Chargers, visit NewHavenChargers.com.
LAST TIME OUT
Three players scored in double figures 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.
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.
New Haven finished 1-for-2 from three-point range, a stark contrast to its previous two games when the team combined for 27 three-point attempts.
LAST TIME THEY MET
The Chargers dropped their regular season finale 63-52 at Le Moyne on Feb. 20. Micah Wormack (Cumberland, Md./Allegany) scored 13 points and was one of three Chargers to grab a team-leading five rebounds along with Allieyah Cubbage (North Plainfield, N.J./Roselle Catholic) and Alexandria Kerr (Montclair, N.J./Montclair). Brie Pergola (Torrington, Conn./Torrington) tallied 11 points and two assists.
New Haven dominated on the offensive boards, grabbing 13 offensive rebounds against Le Moyne's six, leading to 11 second chance points. Le Moyne on the other hand had the edge from the field, making 50 percent of shots to New Haven's 36 percent. New Haven committed 14 turnovers to Le Moyne's 16.
In the first matchup on December 9, Allieyah Cubbage (North Plainfield, N.J./Roselle Catholic) and Micah Wormack (Cumberland, Md./Allegany) combined for 33 points in a 65-53 loss at New Haven.
It was a tight game for a majority of the contest, as the lead changed 14 times with seven ties, as each team led seven times.
MOVING ON UP
Following her six steals on Tuesday against Pace, Alexandria Kerr (Montclair, N.J./Montclair) is now tied for first in the NE10 with 4.1 steals per game. The six steals were one shy of her career-high of seven, which she set against UPR-Bayamon in November.
POINTS FOR PERGOLA
Brie Pergola (Torrington, Conn./Torrington) tied her season-high with 16 points on Saturday at Saint Rose on 7-for-10 shooting. She scored at least 15 points on seven occasions last year as a freshman, and has now done so twice this season.
HONOR ROLL
In the Nov. 26 weekly report from the Northeast-10 Conference, Alexandria Kerr (Montclair, N.J./Montclair) racked up NE10 Honor Roll accolades after averaging 16 points and 9.7 rebounds per game in the three games at the Puerto Rico Clasico. In the opening game of the three-day event, she finished with a double-double, dropping 19 points and pulling in 13 rebounds against Puerto Rico-Bayamon. In that game, she also picked off a career high seven steals against the Vaqueros. In the second game of the tournament, Kerr finished with a season-high 24 points, while hauling in eight rebounds in an overtime win over Upper Iowa. She finished the game shooting 8-of-18 from the field, while adding six free throws. In the final game of the week, she hauled in eight rebounds, leading the team in rebounding for the second time in the tournament. The honor roll nod was the second of the season as she earned the same distinction following the opening week of the season.
FRESH FACES
The 2018-19 version of the Chargers features three new faces on the sideline for first year head coach Debbie Buff, while one player, Luzdali Ocasio (Davenport, Fla./New Hampton), will make her debut this season after suffering a season-ending injury in preseason last year. Two of the three will bolster the Chargers backcourt, while a native of the Sunshine State, Camryn DeBose (Wellington, Fla./Wellington Community) is the lone addition in the frontcourt. Kylie Schlottman (East Haven, Conn./East Haven) and Sydney Richard (Hooksett, N.H./Bradford Christian Academy) round out the rookie class.
Ocasio comes by way of New Hampton High School in New Hampton, N.H. She was named to the All-Tournament Team for the Nobles Holiday Tournament and was also named the Huskies Athlete of the Month once and was a 2015-16 All-Conference honoree.
DeBose played four years at Wellington Community High School where she was a two-year captain. She averaged 10.7 points with over four assists and six rebounds per game and received the Hustle Award and Defensive Player of the Year honors three times.
Richard was a three-year captain on the basketball team at Bradford Christian Academy where she was named the MVP during the 2017-18 season and earned All-Star honors following her junior and senior campaigns. She also led Bradford Christian to the NEPSAC title during the 2015-16 season.
RECORD WATCH
A pair of Chargers enter the 2018-19 campaign on the record watch; Alexandria Kerr (Montclair, N.J./Montclair) and Katia Oge (New City, N.Y./Immaculate Heart Academy). The newest member of the 1,000 point club, Kerr is 16th all-time at New Haven in scoring with 1,192 points. The next level-up for the guard comes with 17 more points which would move her past Sonja Beamon (1983-87) for 15th in program history. Additionally, Kerr can keep an eye on the top-10 lists for field goals made (needs 130), three-point field goals made (needs 16), free throws made (needs one) and rebounds (needs 99). Also paying attention to the record book is center Katia Oge (New City, N.Y./Immaculate Heart Academy) who is currently fifth in program history with 88 blocks. Based on her career output to-date, Oge will graduate third in program history. She currently needs five blocks to move into fourth all-time passing Sonja Beamon (1983-87).
STEERING THE SHIP
With 15 years of experience strolling the sidelines, Debbie Buff will make her debut as the Chargers head coach in 2018-19. Buff comes to West Haven following a seven-year stint at Wheeling Jesuit University, where she led the Cardinals to back-to-back Mountain East Conference Championships and Division II tournament appearances. Buff is no stranger to the NE10 having served as an Assistant Coach with the Saint Rose Golden Knights where she helped lead Saint Rose to the 2000 NCAA Division II Northeast Region Championship, a 34-1 record and a national ranking as high as No. 1 in the country. Along with Buff, two additional coaches will join the New Haven sideline for the first time this season; assistant coaches Steve Bower and Michelle Brandao.
AND THE OSCAR GOES TO
Two of the Chargers returning players are coming off award-winning seasons as senior guard Alexandria Kerr (Montclair, N.J./Montclair) was tabbed NE10 All-Conference Second Team and sophomore guard Brie Pergola (Torrington, Conn./Torrington) earned a spot on the NE10 All-Rookie Team. The first and second leading scorers last season, Kerr and Pergola were the only players to average in double figures at 16.5 and 10.5 ppg, respectively. Kerr also led the team with 171 rebounds (6.6 per game) and with 41 steals, while Pergola was the biggest playmaker last season, dishing out 58 assists. In addition to their postseason honors, both Kerr and Pergola received weekly credentials with Kerr named NE10 Player of the Week once and Pergola garnering NE10 Rookie of the Week distinction on three occasions.
The schedule
First-year head coach Deborah Buff announced a 29-game slate for the 2018-19 University of New Haven women's basketball team. Included in the Chargers schedule are 12 home contests in the friendly confines of Charger Gymnasium and three in the Puerto Rico Clásico over Thanksgiving break.
Including a preseason exhibition against Division I A-10 member Rhode Island, New Haven's schedule consists of 30 dates.
Following its exhibition game against URI, the Chargers will tip-off the new season with the Bridgeport Conference Crossover Classic where they will take on the host Purple Knights and the Post Eagles in the two-day event.
Three of the Chargers 23 opponents are teams that advanced to NCAA postseason play in 2017-18, including the top-two seeds in the East Region; Stonehill and Bentley.
Among the 14 Northeast-10 Conference opponents, the Chargers will play its six divisional rivals twice including Adelphi, Southern Connecticut State, Saint Rose, Pace, Le Moyne and American International.
New Haven will take its first long-distance trip in nine seasons when they travel to Puerto Rico over Thanksgiving Break. During the trip, the Chargers will participate in the Puerto Rico Clásico where they are scheduled to meet three teams for the first time in program history; Puerto Rico-Bayamon, Upper Iowa and Central Oklahoma.
Back in the northeast, New Haven distributes its six non-conference dates between two leagues. It will take on five teams from the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference; Post, Chestnut Hill, Nyack, Goldey-Beacom and Dominican, and one opponent from the ECC; Bridgeport.
SMART, NOT JUST ON THE COURT
Senior Alexandria Kerr (Montclair, N.J./Montclair) doesn't just come with basketball smarts, the guard is also very talented in the classroom where she was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team following the 2017-18 season. This award recognizes the best in their sport regionally with a grade-point average of 3.30 or higher and each member of the first team is then eligible for Academic All-America honors. With a 3.84 cumulative grade point average, Kerr graduated in May with a Bachelor of Science, Magna Cum Laude, in accounting and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Taxation.
STORIED HISTORY
The women's basketball program at New Haven has a very strong history. The Chargers brought home the 1987 national championship title when they defeated Cal-Poly Pomona 77-75 to lift the trophy. Overall, New Haven has advanced to the national tournament nine times, most recently in back-to-back seasons in 2014 and 2015. The latter of those two seasons saw the Chargers advance to the Elite Eight for just the second time in program history after defeating Stonehill 58-57 to win the East Region Championship.
