GAME DAY INFORMATION DATE: December 31, 2022 LOCATION: Charger Gymnasium West Haven, Conn. GAME DAY LINKS LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO

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WHAT'S ON TAP
After more than two weeks we step back on the court for the first time against an opponent as we close out the month of December and the 2022 calendar year with a visit from the Le Moyne Dolphins for a New Year's Eve matinee.

SCOUTING NEW HAVEN
Defense wins games! It has been a yearly goal to hold opponents to a low scoring output and this year is no different as the Chargers enter the New Year's Eve battle limiting their opponents to just 59.0 points per game, fourth best in the NE10. On the flip side, New Haven enters Tuesday night as the No. 5 offense in the Northeast-10 averaging 67.1 points per game, just shy of a point lower than their opponent this afternoon, Le Moyne. In addition, New Haven is leading all NE10 teams with their 7.6 rebounds per game average.  Leading those efforts is graduate guard Camryn DeBose (Wellington, Fla./Wellington Community) who is averaging 17.2 points per game, third in the NE10, including a career-high 30 points in the season opener against Georgian Court. Her co-captain Aurora Deshaies (Syracuse, N.Y./Bishop Ludden) has both offense and defense on her mind as she is second on the team averaging 14.1 ppg, while one of three players in the NE10 who is averaging a double double as she is pulling down 10.9 rebounds per outing, second best in the NE10. In addition, Deshaies leads all NE10 players with her 66% shooting percentage (57-of-86) with all of her points coming from inside the three-point arc. Rounding out the leading scorers for the Blue and Gold is senior point guard Kameryn King (Old Saybrook, Conn./Mercy) who is averaging 12.3 ppg, while leading the team with 35 assists, with her 4.4 assists per game average second best in the conference. Defensively, it is senior guard Marigona Bacaliu (Worcester, Mass./Putnam Science Academy) who leads the team with 23 steals, while New Haven has 85 on the year and has turned the 157 turnovers they have forced into 158 points, including 25+ in two games, against Bloomfield (29) and Franklin Pierce (28).

SCOUTING LE MOYNE
Winners in its final three games before the holiday break, Le Moyne enters Saturday's game with the fourth best scoring offense in the NE10, averaging 68.0 points per game. Overall, the Dolphins hold an 8-4 record, while an identical mark to the Chargers of 3-3 in conference play. As a team, the Dolphins are outscoring their opponents by 5.8 ppg, outrebounding their opposition by 3.7 rebounds per game and turning the ball over at a pace of 3.3 turnovers per game less than their opponents. Leading Le Moyne on the season is senior guard Lytoya Baker who joins Deshaies as one of three players averaging a double double with 13.4 ppg and 11.6 rpg. She is also third on the team with 33 assists and 14 steals. Joining her in leading the offense is sophomore forward Haedyn Roberts at 13.1 ppg, with the pair part of four players averaging double figures.

SERIES HISTORY vs LE MOYNE

·        New Haven and Le Moyne meet for the 39th time in the history of the two programs.

·        Le Moyne holds a 21-17 record in the previous 38 games, including winning the last three meetings.

·        Le Moyne opened up the series with an impressive streak, winning nine of the first 10 games before New Haven took over winning the next five straight.

·        Including that five-game streak, the Chargers would go on to win 14 of the next 17 games in the series. 

·        Last season, the Dolphins swept the home-and-home series, winning 65-48 on their home court and 69-53 in west Haven.

LAST TIME THEY MET
The Dolphins defense was too much in the first half as they held New Haven to just 17 first half points (only five in the first quarter) as they took a 69-53 decision over the Chargers in the first game of a three-game home stand for UNH. Leading the Blue and Gold on the day was Camryn DeBose (Wellington, Fla./Wellington Community) who finished with 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting, including three buckets from outside the arc. DeBose was the only player in double figures, with Briana Van Cleaf (Staten Island, N.Y./Notre Dame Academy) following her with eight points, five of which came at the free throw line as she was a perfect 5-of-5.

NATIONAL NUMBERS
Senior forward Aurora Deshaies (Syracuse, N.Y./Bishop Ludden) doesn't just lead the Northeast-10 Conference in a few categories, she is also Top-5 in the nation in field goal percentage and offensive rebounds per game. Heading into the weekend game against Le Moyne, Deshaies is shooting 66.3 percent (57-of-86), with the national leader, Sydney Kin from Tampa shooting 71.3. On the rebounding front, she is currently averaging 10.9 per game, of which 4.7 come on the offensive glass, with the national leader (Aniya McDonald-Perry from Saint Rose) pulling down an average of 5.9 offensive boards per game.

NEXT TIME OUT
Heading into a new calendar year, the Chargers will open up with a non-conference test as they welcome Dominican to West Haven for a battle of the Chargers. Opening tip off in the NE10-CACC battle is slated for 5:30 p.m. All of the action will be available live on the Charger Sports Network on NE10 NOW.