WEST HAVEN, Conn. – For the third time this season, senior point guard Danny Upchurch (Bridgeport, Conn./Notre Dame Catholic) scored 30 points as he led the University of New Haven men's basketball team to a 98-48 win over the visiting American International Yellow Jackets on Senior Day at Charger Gym. With this victory, partnered with other results around the Northeast-10, the Chargers have secured the third seed for the upcoming NE10 Championship and will receive a bye into the quarterfinals which are scheduled for Sunday, February 25.

The 98 points scored by New Haven represents a season-high and matches the most points scored last season which came against Pace, while it is just the third time under eighth year head coach Ted Hotaling that the Chargers have scored 90 or more points. On the flip side, the 48 points allowed by the Yellow Jackets is a season low allowed by New Haven and is the least points allowed to an opponent since February 7, 2015 when the Chargers held Saint Rose to 47 points.

Upchurch's 30 points led all scorers in the game, while he was one of four players in double figures for the Chargers. Overall, his 30 points came on an impressive 11-of-20 shooting performance, which included a career-high eight three pointers, the most for a New Haven player since Michael Bourke (South Orange, N.J./The Hun School of Princeton) finished with nine against Pace almost one year to the day (Feb. 18, 2017). Upchurch also finished the game with eight assists and picked off four steals.

Joining him in leading the team was classmate Mihailo Vasic (Novi Sad, Serbia) who finished with 13 points and sophomores Derrick Rowland (Cohoes, N.Y./Green Tech) and Elijah Bailey (Freeport, N.Y./The Hotchkiss School) who finished with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Bailey was one of two players for New Haven that finished without missing a field goal with junior Najee Larcher (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xaverian) also going a perfect 4-of-4 from the field as he finished just shy of double figures with nine points. Overall, 11 different players provided at least one point on the afternoon.

As a team, New Haven finished the game shooting a season-best 61.0 percent from the field as they connected on 36 field goals in 59 attempts. Among the 36 field goals were a season-high 16 three pointers, the most for a New Haven team since that same Pace game last year when they finished with 18.

The Blue and Gold also led the battle of the boards as they finished with a 32-22 advantage overall, led by Larcher who pulled down 10 rebounds, finishing just shy of the double double. Defensively, the Chargers limited American International to just 39.6 percent shooting (19-of-48), while forcing the Yellow Jackets into 17 turnovers, which New Haven turned into 19 points. New Haven also held a 12-4 advantage in second chance points, with those 12 points coming courtesy of seven offensive rebounds.

FIRST HALF HIGHLIGHTS

·         A sluggish start for both teams was quickly turned around by the Chargers just past four minutes into the action when a layup by Vasic sparked an 18-0 run that resulted in a 22-4 advantage for the home team.

·         That rally for the Chargers lasted just over four minutes and included two baskets each from Upchurch, Vasic and Bailey. Upchurch and Bailey each led the way in the run with five points as one of their two hoops came from beyond the three point arc.

·         The next seven-plus minutes was very much a back-and-forth battle as the Yellow Jackets managed to match nearly every New Haven bucket, however the Blue and Gold would close out the half on another rally, this time scoring the final 10 points before the break, securing a 45-16 lead at the intermission.

·         That final 10-0 run for the Chargers included back-to-back three pointers, one each from Joseph Doganiero (Wellsboro, Pa./Wellsboro) and Roy Kane, Jr. (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk)

·         Overall in the first half, eight different players provided offense with Upchurch leading all players in the game with 10 points. Just behind that lead was Bailey and Rowland who each had nine points with Bailey going a perfect 4-of-4 from the field in the opening frame. 

SECOND HALF HIGHLIGHTS

·      Despite the Yellow Jackets coming out of the intermission to score the first points in the second half, the Chargers didn't let off the gas, outscoring American International 22-7 over the first six-and-a-half minutes.

·      The Chargers followed that opening bucket by AIC with three-straight three pointers, the first two from Upchurch, while he would again go back-to-back from beyond the arc towards the end of that early rally.

·      The Yellow Jackets looked like they may begin a comeback rally, but were only able to string together seven unanswered points before the Chargers answered with back-to-back three pointers from Upchurch and Rowland.

·      New Haven's largest lead of the game came in the final 30 seconds when Larcher returned a rebound back to the hoop with a statement slam dunk just 24 seconds before the conclusion. AIC would provide the final points of the night with one of their three long range field goals.

·      New Haven would again spread the scoring in the second quarter as nine different players got in on the action, however Upchurch again led the way with 20 points as he finished the second half 7-of-11 from the field, including 6-of-9 from beyond the arc.

·      Among those who provided second half scoring was sophomore Adam Beaton (Ansonia, Conn./Hyde Leadership) who scored his first collegiate points on a layup with 90 seconds remaining in the game.

UP NEXT
New Haven closes out the regular season with its longest road trip of the season and a date with the Le Moyne Dolphins in Syracuse, NY. on Tuesday, February 20. Tip-off at Ted Grant Court is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.