WEST HAVEN, Conn. – Senior Alexandria Kerr (Montclair, N.J./Montclair) and freshman Camryn DeBose (Wellington, Fla./Wellington Community) led the New Haven women's basketball team to a gritty 60-47 win over Assumption on Saturday afternoon at Charger Gymnasium. Kerr led all players with 29 points and 15 rebounds for her fourth straight double-double. DeBose boasted career-highs of 21 points, nine rebounds and five steals in the win, going 5-for-8 from three-point range. Kerr chipped in four assists and four steals while shooting 9-for-18 from the floor and a perfect 11-for-11 from the free throw line. Junior Kim Talley (Quakertown, Pa./Lansdale Catholic) added a career-best eight rebounds.
The Chargers' sixth straight win moves them to 12-4 (5-3 NE10) on the season while Assumption falls to 10-6 (5-4 NE10). New Haven shot 33.3 percent for the game and held the Greyhounds to a season-low 47 points and just 32.1 percent from the floor.
"We showed a lot of heart and poise down the stretch," said head coach Deborah Buff. "Our defense was excellent. Alex Kerr was huge, Kim Talley (Quakertown, Pa./Lansdale Catholic) really battled with their bigs defensively, and Cam (DeBose) hit some really big jump shots and had a couple of steals as well. I think it was a really good collective win. We said everybody has a role coming into this game and even people on the bench brought energy and positivity. I'm just really proud of the entire team from top to bottom to get our 12th win."
QUARTER 1
· The Chargers scored seven straight points to grab a 7-1 lead, which they held for most of the first half.
· Katia Oge (New City, N.Y./Immaculate Heart Academy) got the lead to 7-1 on a fastbreak layup and Kerr got the lead back to six with a trey, making it 13-7.
· Assumption used back-to-back hoops, including a buzzer-beating jumper to cut it to 13-11 after one.
QUARTER 2
· Kerr answered a pair of Greyhound baskets with consecutive layups to make it 17-14 by the 7:31 mark.
· At Assumption took the 18-17 leadoff a three-pointer at the 3:44 mark, but New Haven did not trail for long as Brie Pergola (Torrington, Conn./Torrington) sank a jumper and Luzdali Ocasio (Davenport, Fla./New Hampton) made a pair of free throws to regain the 20-18 edge.
· After hoop by Kerr with 18 seconds left, Assumption's Caterina Fonseca stepped up and drilled a triple to beat the buzzer, giving the Hounds the 23-22 advantage at halftime.
QUARTER 3
· Assumption scored the first seven points of the second half as part of a 10-0 run overall to grow the lead to eight, and got the lead up to a game-high nine points at 33-24 by the 6:47 mark.
· New Haven ripped off a 9-2 run to climb back within two after a DeBose triple and a jumper by Pergola at 4:06 that made the score 35-33 in favor of the Hounds.
· The Chargers got within three on a Kerr layup with 3:05 remaining and closed within one on another three by DeBose with 11 seconds left, cutting it to 40-39 through three quarters.
QUARTER 4
· The Chargers took the lead on the opening possession of the fourth and never gave it back, tripling up the Greyhounds 21-7 in the period.
· After Assumption crept within two, the teams went over 2:30 without scoring until DeBose drilled a long three to make it 47-42.
· The lead grew to eight on two occasions after a pair of free throws from Pergola and Kerr, then DeBose gave New Haven its largest lead of the game to that point, connecting on two of her own from the line to make it 56-47 with 48 seconds left.
· DeBose notched a steal on the ensuing Assumption possession and added two more from the line. After another defensive stop, Kerr culminated the scoring with two more from the charity stripe to grow the lead to 60-47.
New Haven will host its annual Class at the Court game at Charger Gymnasium on Wednesday afternoon at 1 p.m. against Saint Michael's. Hundreds of elementary school students from West Haven will be attendance as part of a day full of activities on the New Haven campus. The game will be streamed live on NE10 NOW.
