NORTH EASTON, Mass. – In what could arguably be called the best Division II basketball game in the East Region this season, the New Haven men's basketball team (15-14 overall) survived a three OT battle with Stonehill to advance to the Northeast-10 Conference championship game for the second straight season. The Chargers will travel to Saint Anselm on Saturday to battle for its first NE10 Championship in program history with tip off against the Hawks slated for 1:00 p.m.
The Chargers looked to be in perfect position to win with a half second left in the second overtime after the first of what could have been back-to-back Sports Center Top-10 plays when Quashawn Lane (Trenton, N.J./Trenton Catholic Academy) tracked down a loose ball in the corner, turned and drained a three pointer to give the Chargers a two-point lead. The Skyhawks would go the length of the floor, thanks in part to a tipped ball out of bounds on the initial inbound play, and score on a tip-in with 0.2 seconds remaining to force the third OT.
In the third extra period, the Chargers would open up a four-point lead in the first 2:30 thanks to buckets from Derrick Rowland (Cohoes, N.Y./Green Tech) and Kessly Felizor (Hightstown, N.J./Hightstown)y. The second of those buckets, from the Chargers big man inside, was matched 16 seconds later by a three pointer from the Skyhawks Will Moreton, the NE10 Player of the Year. That three pointer would turn out to be the final points of the night. A three pointer from Davontrey Thomas (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Poughkeepsie) with six seconds remaining was off the mark and the Skyhawks, who corralled the loose ball rebound, managed a last second three point attempt from Moreton that was tipped on its way up and fell short of the mark.
Leading the Chargers in the semifinal win was senior guard Elijah Bailey (Freeport, N.Y./The Hotchkiss School) who matched his career-high with 33 points. The Freeport, N.Y. native closed out the night shooting 12-of-25 from the field, including a pair of three pointers, while he also finished 7-of-9 at the free throw line, including a perfect 5-of-5 in the second overtime which helped put his squad in a position to win the game on Lane's three pointer. Bailey also added three rebounds and a pair of steals to his efforts.
Overall, Bailey was one of five players in double figures for the Chargers, as the entire starting five who closed out the night with double digits. Following Bailey was Lane who dropped in a career-high 23 points, none bigger than his off balance three pointer in the final seconds of the second OT. Lane closed out his night shooting 10-of-14 form the field with a pair of three pointers. He also pulled down seven rebounds and dished out four assists.
Felizor completed his ninth double double of the year, and second straight, with 17 points and 14 rebounds. The senior post player closed out the night shooting 6-of-8 overall while adding five points at the free throw line, in seven attempts. He also led the way with a pair of blocks. Both Felizor and Lane played the entire 55 minutes, by far the longest either has played in a single game as a Charger.
Redshirt junior Derrick Rowland (Cohoes, N.Y./Green Tech) and freshman Davontrey Thomas (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Poughkeepsie) capped off the starting five in double digits with 15 and 10 points, respectively. Thomas would finish the game 4-of-6 from the field with a three pointer, while Rowland was 6-of-17 overall with a team-high three buckets from beyond the three point arc. Thomas also led New Haven with five assists.
The only other Chargers to contribute to the offense on the night was Ross Jones II (Edgewood, Md./Friends School) who added a first half triple that at the time gave his team an 18-17 lead and was the fifth lead change in the first 11 minutes of the game. Overall, the two teams traded leads 17 times and saw the score knotted up 18 times.
Felizor's team-high 14 rebounds were part of 38 total for the Blue and Gold as they secured another victory on the night in the rebounding battle, holding the Skyhawks to 33. Lane's seven rebounds and Thomas, who added six, followed Felizor's lead. The Chargers also led the way in the paint where they outscored Stonehill 54-48 and in second chance points where they held a 12-8 advantage.
