PHOTO GALLRY

WEST HAVEN, Conn. – Behind a season high 18 points and a double double (12 rebounds) from Kessly Felizor (Hightstown, N.J./Hightstown) the University of New Haven men's basketball team (10-5, 5-4 NE10) cruised past the visiting Saint Michael's Purple Knights 81-47 in an afternoon matinee at Charger Gymnasium.

Overall, Felizor was one of three players in double figures with junior Elijah Bailey (Freeport, N.Y./The Hotchkiss School) leading all scorers with 22 points and redshirt sophomore Derrick Rowland (Cohoes, N.Y./Green Tech) chipping in 11 points. Felizor's 12 rebounds also led the team as the Chargers led in that battle as well with a 39-37 margin. Following Felizor in leading the boards was senior Najee Larcher (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xaverian) who hauled in eight.

Among the leading scorers, Felizor led the trio shooting 6-of-7 from the field with a perfect effort 2-of-2 effort from outside the three point arc. He also added four points at the free throw line in five attempts. Bailey also shot well, connecting on 7-of-16 from the field, while Rowland added a 4-of-8 effort. The pair also finished with three points each. Joining them in leading the scoring was freshman Quashawn Lane (Trenton, N.J. /Trenton Catholic Academy) and junior Roy Kane, Jr. (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk) who each finished with nine points, while Darius Roundtree (Plainfield, N.J./The Patrick School) came off the bench to add six points, all on a pair of three point attempts. Lane also added six assists, while he shot 3-of-5 from the field and was a perfect 3-of-3 at the free throw line.

Overall, New Haven finished the game shooting 50.9 percent from the field, connecting on 28 buckets in 55 attempts. Among the 28 field goals were 11 from long range, the sixth time this season New Haven has finished with double figure three's. The Blue and Gold also added 14 points at the free throw line in 17 attempts (82.4 percent).

Neither team came out of the gates shooting particularly well as the two squads traded baskets over much of the first 10 minutes of action. Trailing 10-9 with 15 minutes to play in the game, New Haven began to pull away using an 11-2 run to gain a 19-12 advantage with 8:31 remaining before the break. During that run both Bailey and Lane finished with four points, while a three pointer from Rowland started the rally off.

Just under two minutes later, the Chargers opened up their first double dibble lead courtesy of a jump shot from Rowland. New Haven would match that high for the half three more times in the first half, including at the intermission courtesy of a pair of free throws from Bailey.

The Blue and Gold opened up the second half scoring on an old fashioned three point play from Lane and never looked back from that point. Overall, New Haven outscored the Purple Knights 43-19 over the final 20 minutes, holding Saint Michael's to a minimal 22.8 percent shooting effort (8-of-35) in the second half.

Along the way for New Haven in the second half was a 10-0 run midway through the first 10 minutes of the period with four different players all contributing during that stretch. The biggest success for the Chargers in the second half was their transition game where they finished with a 14-6 advantage in fast break opportunities, extending that to 19-6 over the full 40 minutes.

New Haven will head to the Bay State for its next two games, visiting Waltham and North Andover, Massachusetts. First on the docket will be a visit to the Bentley Falcons, a team that won 14 of its first 15 games and stands near the top of the pack in the Northeast Division. Tip-off from the Dana Center on Saturday, January 19 is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. with the women's game to follow. Fans who are unable to make the early start can follow the action online with live video on NE10 Now and live stats. Links are available on NewHavenChargers.com.