GAME DAY INFORMATION   DATE: December 31, 2019 LOCATION: Gallagher Center | Philadelphia, Pa.   GAME DAY LINKS   LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO

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THE FIRST LOOK
Following a 15-day hiatus, the New Haven men's basketball team returns to the hardwood for their final game in the calendar year, traveling to Philadelphia for a date with the Jefferson Rams. This match-up marks the second straight against a CACC opponent as the Chargers look to build on a three-game win streak, which includes the most recent win over Holy Family on December 15.

INSIDE THE SERIES

• Under their current name and mascot (Jefferson Rams), New Haven will meet their next opponent for the first time, however the Chargers and Rams are familiar foes under their previous institution - Philadelphia University.
• Including meetings under any of their previous names, New Haven and Jefferson have met 17 times with the Blue and Gold holding a slim 9-8 advantage. The most recent meeting came in 2015-16 with then Philadelphia University taking a 61-50 victory.
• Among the previous meetings against the Philly U, were a series of three seasons where they shared a conference affiliation in the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference

SCOUTING THE CHARGERS
The Chargers have relied on the returning experience of seniors Elijah Bailey (Freeport, N.Y./The Hotchkiss School) and Kessly Felizor (Hightstown, N.J./Hightstown) and redshirt junior Derrick Rowland (Cohoes, N.Y./Green Tech) who combined have provided over 64% of the overall scoring for the season. Leading the way is Bailey who is averaging 20.0 points per game and has scored 20+ in each of the last five games, increasing his average in that stretch to 27.0 ppg. Included in that five-game stretch for Bailey is  a season-high of 31 against Southern Connecticut. Felizor, who is second on the team at 13.3 ppg, is averaging a double double of the last four games, putting up 19.0 ppg and pulling down 10.5 rpg in that stretch. Rounding out the three leaders is Rowland who adds 10.3 points per game while leading the team with 48 assists including seven or more in each of the last four games. He also set a career-high with 10 dishes in the win over Holy Family, the first person with 10 or more since 2017.

SCOUTING THE RAMS
Winners of its last two, Jefferson enters New Year's Eve with a 9-2 overall record including a 3-0 mark in the CACC. Overall for the season, the Rams are outscoring their opponents by more than 10 points per game with an average of 80.2 ppg compared to 70.0 ppg for their opponents. Leading the way individually is senior forward DeVaughn Mallory who is averaging a double double with 20.8 ppg and 10.4 rebounds per game. With all of his scoring coming inside of the three point arc, Mallory is shooting at an average of 58.3 percent (102-175) while he is also among the leaders with 27 total assists. Class and position mate Josh Bradanese follows Mallory in leading the team in both scoring and rebounding at 18.0 ppg and 6.8 rpg.

UP NEXT
The Chargers will return to action once more before the end of the calendar year when they play on New Year's Eve in Philadelphia, Pa. That game will pith the Blue and Gold against another CACC opponent, Jefferson. Opening tip off at the Gallagher Center is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.

LAST TIME THEY MET
Josh Guddemi scored a career-high 12 points, but the men's basketball team was upended by Philadelphia University 61-50 in a non-conference matchup. In addition to his personal best in points, Guddemi also led the Blue and Gold and set a career-high with eight rebounds. Levy Gillespie finished with finished with a team-high 15 points and Tommy Hunt chipped in with 10.

LAST TIME OUT
A mid-second half 18-0 rally put the Chargers ahead for good in a 78-64 win over Holy Family Tigers. Leading New Haven was Elijah Bailey (Freeport, N.Y./The Hotchkiss School) who rattled off 20+ points for the fifth straight game, with a team-best 26 points on 9-of-18 shooting. He also compiled his first career double double hauling in a career-high 10 rebounds. Kessly Felizor (Hightstown, N.J./Hightstown) finished just behind Bailey putting up 21 points and pulling down 10 boards. He also matched a career-high picking off four steals, part of 11 total for the team. Rounding out the leaders on the day was Davontrey Thomas (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Poughkeepsie) who picked up a pair of career-highs on the day with 18 points and six assists, while adding five rebounds. Derrick Rowland (Cohoes, N.Y./Green Tech) also accomplished a new feat, dishing out a career-high 10 assists. As a team, New Haven finished the day shooting 49.2 percent from the field, connecting on 29-of-59 field goal attempts. Among those 29 buckets were 11 from beyond the three point arc. Additionally, the Blue and Gold closed out the afternoon shooting 9-of-12 from the free throw line.

BRING OUT THE BROOMS
SR Elijah Bailey (Freeport, N.Y./The Hotchkiss School) and FR Davontrey Thomas (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Poughkeepsie) capped off a 2-0 week sweeping the NE10 Weekly awards. Bailey earns the second NE10 Player of the Week accolade of his career, while Thomas is the first Charger to earn Rookie of the Week honors since Derrick Rowland (Cohoes, N.Y./Green Tech) earned the distinction on February 19, 2018. That date also marks the last time the Chargers swept the weekly honors with Rowland joined by then senior Danny Upchurch who earned Player of the Week honors. Bailey closed out last week averaging 25 points on 18-of-24 field goal attempts with eight of those buckets from outside the three point arc. Bailey also hauled in 15 boards including his first career double double with a career-high 10 rebounds against Holy Family. Thomas capped off his weekly performance with a pair of career highs on Sunday afternoon against Holy Family when he scored 18 points and dished out six assists.

HONOR ROLL
In addition to its Player and Rookie of the Week awards, the Northeast-10 Conference also doles out Honor Roll accolades to some of the best performances from the week prior. So far this season, Elijah Bailey (Freeport, N.Y./The Hotchkiss School) and Kessly Felizor (Hightstown, N.J./Hightstown) have each earned the honor twice.
2019-20 NE10 Honor Roll Recipients
Nov. 25 :: Elijah Bailey (Freeport, N.Y./The Hotchkiss School)
Dec. 09 :: Elijah Bailey (Freeport, N.Y./The Hotchkiss School)
Dec. 09 :: Kessly Felizor (Hightstown, N.J./Hightstown)
Dec. 16 :: Kessly Felizor (Hightstown, N.J./Hightstown)

THREE POINT THREAT
With the return of the top two three point shooters from a season ago, New Haven is poised to build on the momentum of a school record 267 three point field goals last season. It was the second straight year the Chargers hit a school record from long range as they did so with 239 during the 2017-18 campaign. Leading New Haven into the new season will be Elijah Bailey (Freeport, N.Y./The Hotchkiss School) (68) and Derrick Rowland (Cohoes, N.Y./Green Tech) (66) who combined for half of the total three pointers from last season. The biggest loss from outside the arc comes in the form of Roy Kane, Jr. (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk) who finished with 46 three pointers. Through the first nine games, the Chargers have converted 86 three pointers, if they were to maintain their current average for the remainder of the regular season the Chargers would stand at 249 three pointers made. 

TIGHTENING THE BELT
Since returning from the Sunshine State, head coach Ted Hotaling may have hit the point in the season where he has tightened the belt on his rotation, relying on just seven players total in a three-game stretch against SCSU, Saint Rose and AIC. Additionally, all 71 points against SCSU and all 65 points against American International came from the starting five, while at least two players have played the entire 40 minutes in each of the last four outings.

MOVIN' ON UP
Senior Elijah Bailey (Freeport, N.Y./The Hotchkiss School) became the 35th player in program history to hit the 1,000 career point plateau as part of a career-high 32-point night against crosstown rival Southern Connecticut State University on February 6, 2019. After opening the season rounding out the top 25 on the career scoring list, Bailey will continue to quickly ascend the ranks. He currently stands 19 points shy of passing Greg Spicer (1982-86) for 15th all-time, and needs just 36 points to jump into the next century mark with 1,400 career points. Following that, Bailey will have his eye on points number 1,409 which will place him in 14th all-time with a larger mountain to climb before reaching lucky number 13 which is currently held by Eric Anderson (Newark, N.J./Newark Tech) (2011-15) with 1,551 points.

MILESTONE MAN
Senior Kessly Felizor (Hightstown, N.J./Hightstown) is on par to become the first player since Eric Anderson (Newark, N.J./Newark Tech) (2011-15) to enter a pair of prestigious lists at New Haven; the 500 Rebound and 1,000 Point clubs. Last season, Felizor broke into the 500 rebound club and has since moved up to 17th all-time. In the hunt for 1,000, Felizor currently stands 152 points shy of breaking the plateau, where he would become the 36th player to do so. Upon completing that feat, Felizor would be the 18th player all-time to join both the 500 rebound and 1,000 point club.

DIALING LONG DISTANCE
Senior Elijah Bailey (Freeport, N.Y./The Hotchkiss School) entered another top-10 in program history in the early part of the season when he broke in among the top three point shooters at New Haven. He currently stands eighth in program history in three pointers made with 167 and with just 13 more would break into the top-five all-time. Extended beyond that, Bailey has the ability to close out his career third all-time in three pointers made which is currently held by both Alberto Alberdi (1998-03) and Gary Battle (1987-91) who each had 190 three pointers to their credit.

DOUBLE DIPPING
Senior Kessly Felizor (Hightstown, N.J./Hightstown) has flown a bit under the radar the last few games, but in doing so he has compiled a double double in three of the last four outings. In that same stretch, the senior post player is averaging a double double with 19.5 ppg and 10.5 rebounds per game, while shooting an impressive 66.7 percent in that same stretch (30-of-45). In addition to that, Felizor has picked off a team-best nine steals over the last three games.

LITERACY MATTERS
For the fourth straight season, the New Haven men's basketball team will partner with Coaching for Literacy to promote the #Fight4Literacy initiative on February 1 when they host Franklin Pierce. New Haven remains the only Division II program to partner with Coaching for Literacy, a program whose goal is to promote childhood reading in local communities. In addition to raising awareness on February 1, the Chargers will offer a special admission opportunity that afternoon-Any fan who brings a new or gently used book to the game will receive complimentary admission. All books collected will then be donated to the West Haven Read to Grow program.

FUTURE FOAL
Tenth year head coach Ted Hotaling announced the commitment of one player during the early signing period in November, a 6-2 forward out of Elizabeth High School in Elizabeth, N.J., Jordan Price. As a junior last season, Price averaged 14.6 points per game, while pulling down 6.8 rebounds per game. Among his highlights last year was a 30-point outing versus Christian Brothers on February 9, while he also posted a 23 point, eight rebound and six block performance against Plainfield on January 15.

PRESEASON PROPS
After being picked second in the previous two seasons, New Haven was the unanimous pick to win the Southwest Division in the Northeast-10 as predicted by a tally of the league's head coaches. New Haven registered 91 points in the poll, the most among all 14 teams in the league. The reigning NCAA East Region Champion Saint Anselm was picked to finish first in the Northeast Division earning five of the 14 possible first place votes, while Stonehill matched the five first place votes but finished second in the overall vote tally.
2019-20 NE10 Men's Basketball Coaches Poll
Northeast Division:
1. Saint Anselm - 78 (5)
2. Stonehill - 72 (5)
3. Bentley – 62 (1)
t-4. Franklin Pierce – 60 (3)
t-4. Southern New Hampshire – 60
6. Assumption – 33
7. Saint Michael's - 20 
Southwest Division:
1. New Haven - 91 (13)
2. Adelphi - 69 (1)
3. Southern Connecticut – 61
4. Pace – 53
5. Le Moyne – 51
6. Saint Rose – 36
7. American International - 24

THE SCHEDULE
"Our goal each year is to play a competitive non-league schedule to prepare us for the Northeast-10, one of the toughest leagues in the country," said head coach Ted Hotaling. "We have accomplished that again this season with games against teams both inside and outside of the East Region."

• The New Haven men's basketball schedule consists of 26 total dates.
• The Chargers open up the season with a big test, playing four of their first five games away from the friendly confines of Charger Gymnasium. Included is a trip to the Sunshine State to compete in the Terrace Hotel Thanksgiving Classic against perennial Sunshine State Conference power Florida Southern, and Saint Leo.
• Among the 13 Northeast-10 Conference opponents, the Chargers will play their six divisional opponents twice; Adelphi, Southern Connecticut State, Saint Rose, Pace, Le Moyne and American International.
• New Haven will play seven non-conference games including Concordia (N.Y.), Florida Southern, Saint Leo, Holy Family, Jefferson, Saint Thomas Aquinas and a season-ending match-up with Molloy.