ALBANY, N.Y. – Needing a win to keep the Charger's playoff hopes alive, Alexandria Kerr (Montclair, N.J./Montclair) poured in 33 points as the University of New Haven women's basketball team (10-13, 6-12 NE10) survived the Saint Rose Golden Knights, 70-58, at Daniel P. Nolan Gymnasium on Saturday. With the key victory, the Chargers reach double digits in wins on the season.
 
Kerr's 33 points come as her second-highest point total of the season, just three points shy of her career high of 36 scored at Post on Dec. 31. From the field, Kerr shot 55 percent (12-of-22 FG) and knocked down three three-pointers and six free throws. With the big game, Kerr is now just 28 points away from the 1,000-point milestone for her career.
 
Also finishing in double figures in her fourth-straight game was freshman Brie Pergola (Torrington, Conn./Torrington) who added 15 points with two three-pointers and was also a perfect 3-of-3 at the line. Pergola also dished out three assists and added a team-high three steals. Senior Quana Smith (Bronx, N.Y./Harry S. Truman) had the helping hand with five assists, just one short of her season-high, and also scored six points for the Blue and Gold.
 
Senior Khayla Trowell (Temple Hills, Md./Elizabeth Seton Catholic) (4-of-7 FG) chipped in nine points and added six rebounds, and sophomore Micah Wormack (Cumberland, Md./Allegany) finished as the top rebounder on the day with seven boards.
 
As a team, New Haven shot 42.4 percent from the field and scored 15 points off foul shots. The Chargers also won the battle of the boards, 36-31, and committed only nine turnovers while forcing 16 Golden Knight miscues.
 
FIRST QUARTER NOTES:

• Kerr and Pergola took care of all of the scoring in the first quarter, netting 18 total points to open up the contest. Kerr went on a tear in the first 10 minutes, going 5-for-9 with two three-pointers to get 12 quick points and Pergola added six.   
• The Chargers drilled three three-pointers during the first 4:24 of the game, getting out to a 9-0 start over Saint Rose. Pergola hit the first one and Kerr followed with two, all assisted on by Smith.
• Saint Rose scored seven points around a Pergola three-pointer, and Kerr added a jump shot with under a minute remaining as New Haven held a seven-point lead at the first break.

 
SECOND QUARTER NOTES:

• Kerr and Pergola went on to score nine of 11 Charger points in the second quarter, with Kerr opening up the quarter on a jump shot assisted by junior Allieyah Cubbage (North Plainfield, N.J./Roselle Catholic). Saint Rose pressured the Chargers, using a 10-3 run over the span of 5:36 to chop the lead back down to two points.
• Junior Sianna Van Dyke (Kingston, N.Y./Kingston) scored for New Haven on a jump shot assisted by Smith, and Pergola and Kerr both hit field goals to stretch the Charger lead back out to eight points.
• Saint Rose netted four more points before the buzzer as New Haven holding a 29-25 edge at the intermission.   

 
THIRD QUARTER NOTES:

• Saint Rose tied things up at 29 points apiece just two minutes into the second half with a free throw and three-pointer and again at the 5:40 mark at 33 points. Saint Rose's Nina Fedullo was fouled and hit both of her free throws to elevate the Golden Knights to what would be their only lead of the game, 35-33.
• Things were close over the next few minutes as the game saw two more ties, first with Trowell connecting on a jumper and next on a field goal by Saint Rose. With just over two minutes left in the third, Kerr got a pass from Pergola and connected from deep to give the Chargers the lead for good, sparking an 8-2 run to end the quarter.
• Despite only shooting 4-of-15 from the field, New Haven went 7-of-10 from the line as each team scored 16 points in the third quarter.

 
FOURTH QUARTER NOTES:

• New Haven shot a blistering 69 percent (9-of-13 FG) in the fourth quarter to keep the Golden Knights at bay. Six of seven Chargers who saw time in the final frame scored, led by Kerr with eight points and Trowell who went 3-of-4 from the field to score all six of her points in the quarter.
• Kerr scored the first five points for New Haven, and Trowell and Wormack added two points each on back-to-back possessions to give New Haven its first 10+ point lead of the game.
• Saint Rose got back within nine twice more, but the Chargers scored six-straight points to open the lead up to 15 points twice before Saint Rose closed out the game on a three-pointer on their final possession.
• New Haven outscored the Chargers, 25-17, in the final ten minutes to help them make the final push needed to take down the Golden Knights.

 
New Haven can control its own postseason destiny with two wins. Before that, the Chargers will take a quick break and look to get past Bloomfield in a non-conference game on Monday evening at Bloomfield College Gymnasium. Tip-off for that contest is slated for 7:00 pm. Following that game, the Chargers will play the first of two crucial matchups as New Haven plays host to International on Feb. 17, which will also be Senior Day at Charger Gymnasium. New Haven will then travel to Le Moyne on Tuesday, Feb. 20 for the final regular season game.