WEST HAVEN, Conn. – Kessly Felizor (Hightstown, N.J./Hightstown) picked off a floor length pass and dished it off to Roy Kane, Jr. (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk) who scored with four seconds remaining to force overtime as the University of New Haven men's basketball team (13-5, 8-4) pulled away in the extra frame for a 98-87 win over Stonehill (11-8, 5-7). The win, which was the fifth straight for the Blue and Gold, maintained top billing for New Haven in the Southwest Division of the Northeast-10.
All five of the Chargers starters finished out the game in double figures, a feat which hasn't happened in over two years, while the 98 points scored by New Haven is the most since matching that total on February 18, 2017 against Pace. The 98 points, which is a season high, is the second time New Haven has scored 90+ this season, which the Chargers haven't done since scoring 90+ in back-to-back games in the 2003-04 season.
Leading the way for the Blue and Gold was junior guard Elijah Bailey (Freeport, N.Y./The Hotchkiss School) who scored 28 points, his sixth game with 25+, closing out the contest shooing 9-of-20 from the floor, including a pair of three pointers, and adding a perfect 8-of-8 performance at the free throw line. Joining him with 20+ in the game was Kane who closed out the afternoon with a career-high 22 points, scoring on 8-of-13 field goal attempts, including two from long range, and adding 4-of-5 at the free throw line.
Rounding out the leading scorers was redshirt sophomore Derrick Rowland (Cohoes, N.Y./Green Tech) with 17 points, Felizor with 15 points and freshman Quashawn Lane (Trenton, N.J. /Trenton Catholic Academy) who scored in double figures for the second straight game with 14 points. The only points outside of the starting five for New Haven was a pair of free throws from senior Najee Larcher (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xaverian).
As a team, New Haven finished the game shooting 50.7 percent overall, connecting on 35-of-69 attempts, with eight of those 35 field goals from outside the three point arc. Additionally, New Haven capitalized on its trips to the free throw line where they finished 20-of-21. The Chargers also closed out the game with a 32-31 advantage in the battle of the boards, led by Felizor who hauled in eight rebounds. New Haven also held a 44-34 lead in points in the paint, topped the Skyhawks 14-4 in second chance points and closed out the game with a commanding 27-7 lead in fast break points.
Stonehill came out of the gates shooting well, scoring the first basket of the afternoon on a three pointer and held onto that early lead for the first six-plus minutes. Trailing by five, 19-14, the Chargers rattled off nine straight points to erase the deficit and take their first lead of the game at 23-19 with a three pointer and a pair of free throws from Bailey providing the initial lead change.
Again trailing, this time by just one point, the Chargers again used a rally, this time scoring seven unanswered to take their largest lead of the half at 34-28. Five of the seven points in the run came from Rowland, all except for the first basket which was a jumper from Bailey. The Skyhawks answered that run with an identical one of their own, regaining a slim one-point lead which was erased by Kane on a jump shot with 25 seconds remaining that provided the edge at the break 36-35.
Despite tying the score twice in the first three minutes, New Haven wouldn't hold a lead until the halfway points of the second half. During those first 10 minutes of the period, the Skyhawks built as much as an eight point lead which came courtesy of a three pointer from Will Moreton.
The Chargers would battle back and eventually take a one-point lead with 9:48 to play in the period, with that lead change courtesy of a fast break bucket from Lane. The Skyhawks wouldn't give up though, answering that lead change with a 17-5 rally over the next four plus minutes to open up their largest lead of the game at 71-60 with 5:22 remaining. That run for Stonehill included a barrage of three pointers, five total, including the first three from Brandon Twitty.
Again trailing by double figures, 74-64, with exactly four minutes remaining, the Chargers began what would turn into a 15-5 run to end regulation, capped off with Felizor's steal and the layup with four seconds remaining by Kane. Overall four different players contributed in that rally which included a pair of big three point shots from Rowland and Felizor with Kane scoring the final four points to knot the game at 79.
In the extra frame, the Chargers scored on the opening possession and never looked back. New Haven held the Skyhawks without a field goal through the first 3:30 of the overtime, opening up as much as a nine point lead. Stonehill would make a run at the Chargers in the final 90 seconds but the Blue and Gold secured the victory with a pair of steals that led to two free throws on each ensuing possession over the final 32 seconds of action.
New Haven will head back to the Granite State for the second time in January when they travel to Rindge, N.H. for a date with the Franklin Pierce Ravens on Wednesday night. Tip-off of from Franklin Pierce Fieldhouse is slated for 7:30 p.m. following the women's game.
