WEST HAVEN, Conn. – With playoff implications on the line, the University of New Haven women's basketball team (12-13, 7-12 NE10) led for all but nine minutes as it scored a 73-61 victory over the visiting American International Yellow Jackets on Senior Day. Leading the Chargers was junior Alexandria Kerr (Montclair, N.J./Montclair) who put no doubt in her joining the 1,000 point club as she finished the game with 29 points, leading all players.

Kerr's 29 points came on a plus .500 shooting average as she sank 11 field goals in 20 attempts with just one of those baskets from outside the three point arc. Kerr also added six points at the free throw line while she closed out the contest with her second-straight, and third of the season, double double pulling down a season-high 12 rebounds.

Kerr led four players in double figures as she was followed by Micah Wormack (Cumberland, Md./Allegany) who closed out a shooting clinic missing just two of her seven field goal attempts, collecting 16 points overall. She also pulled down seven rebounds. Rounding out the leading scorers was Brie Pergola (Torrington, Conn./Torrington) with 10 points and Quana Smith (Bronx, N.Y./Harry S. Truman), who capped off her senior day game with 11 points, including a perfect 8-of-8 performance at the free throw line. Smith also dished out three assists and picked off four steals, tying her career high. The Chargers only other senior, Khayla Trowell (Temple Hills, Md./Elizabeth Seton Catholic), finished with five points and three rebounds.

As a team, New Haven finished the game shooting 44.9 percent from the field with 22 field goals in 49 attempts. Just three of those field goals came from outside the arc, while New Haven capitalized at the free throw line, finishing with a season-best 26 free throws in 29 attempts for a .897 average. The Blue and Gold also led the rebounding battle with a 39-35 advantage, led by Kerr's dozen.

FIRST QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

·         After surrendering the first four points of the game, New Haven responded by scoring the next seven over a four minute span that finished off with a 7-4 Charger lead and the first of three total lead changes. The biggest bucket in the rally was a three pointer from Kerr, while the remaining four points came from Wormack and Pergola.

·         Following a 9-6 lead for the Chargers, the game would see a pair of ties and a lead change before the Yellow Jackets took a 13-11 lead they would hold on to through the remainder of the opening quarter.

·         Following a Kerr layup that tied the game at 11, the Chargers would muster just one points over the final 60 seconds of the frame as they trailed AIC 15-12 at the first break.

·         In the opening period, the Chargers were led by both Kerr and Wormack as the pair each finished with five points.

SECOND QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

·         AIC would again score the opening points of the frame, this time opening up their largest lead of five just 36 seconds back into the action.

·         Following that deficit, the Chargers would respond by scoring 13 of the next 15 points to open up a six point lead at the midway point of the quarter. Kerr would provide six of the 13 points with her final two on a fast-break layup making her the 19th player in program history to score 1,000 career points.

·         That layup was part of a four-point stretch all from Kerr as she broke a 19-19 stalemate with the third and final lead change of the game as New Haven would never face a deficit the remainder of the contest.

·         Overall, New Haven outscored the Yellow Jackets 20-11 in the second quarter, including the final four points of the period that resulted in a 32-26 margin at the intermission. Kerr led the Chargers in the second quarter as she finished with eight points, making half of her six field goal attempts while converting both of her tries at the free throw line.

THIRD QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

·         For the first time in the game, the Chargers opened up the scoring, this time with Kerr hitting one-of-two at the line. The Yellow Jackets followed that with back-to-back buckets, but New Haven wouldn't let up answering those two field goals with an 8-0 run that resulted in the first double digit lead of the afternoon 41-30.

·         Kerr would regain that 11 point lead for the Chargers when she used a pass from Smith to score a jumper 90 seconds before the third quarter horn, however the Yellow Jackets would net the final five points of the frame, cutting the Blue and Gold lead to 45-39 at the break.

·         Kerr again led New Haven in the quarter as she finished with nine points, again hitting half of her field goal attempts, going 4-of-8 from the field. She also pulled down five rebounds, securing her second-straight double double.

FOURTH QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

·         AIC continued their streak from the third quarter with the first bucket in the fourth, but the Chargers responded by scoring eight of the next 10 points to regain a double digit lead, 53-43 with 5:43 remaining.

·         Just under 90 seconds later, the Chargers opened up their largest lead of the game, 13. Smith rattled off five-straight unanswered points with the final three coming from beyond the arc and leading to a 58-45 advantage.

·         After the Yellow Jackets managed to cut the deficit to seven points with 49 seconds remaining, Smith again took over, this time scoring six-straight unanswered points as she single handedly regained a 13 points lead with 33 seconds remaining. All six of those points came on three perfect trips to the free throw line.

UP NEXT
New Haven will close out the regular season on the road as it embarks on the longest road trip of the season with a date against the Le Moyne Dolphins in Syracuse, NY. on Tuesday, February 20. Tip-off at Ted Grant Court is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. The Chargers playoff hopes remain alive as the outcome at Le Moyne, partnered with the outcome between Saint Rose and Pace will determine the fifth and final position in the upcoming NE10 Championship.