MANCHESTER, N.H. – Behind a season-high 25 points from junior Davontrey Thomas (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Poughkeepsie), the New Haven men's basketball team ran their win streak to four-straight with a 72-63 decision in the first of two meetings against the Hawks this season. With the victory, New Haven improves to 10-3 overall and 7-1 in the Northeast-10 Conference which keeps them tied with Bentley for the top spot in the league standings.

Thomas was one of two 20 point scorers for the Chargers, joined by graduate guard Quashawn Lane (Trenton, N.J./Trenton Catholic Academy) who finished with 20 points, while Victor Olawoye (Elmont, N.Y./Elmont Memorial High School) closed out the leading scorers with a baker's dozen, 13. Among all the leading scorers, Thomas led the shooting efforts with an impressive 10-of-13 from the field, including three from outside the arc. He also added six boards, while Majur Majak (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./) led all players in the game with 14 boards and New Haven finished with a 36-30 lead in the rebounding battle.

As a team, New Haven shot 52 percent from the field, making 28-of-54 attempts, with six long range buckets. Defensively, New Haven held the home to just 39 percent shooting, 25-of-64, however the Hawks stayed in the game with 10 three point field goals. New Haven also finished 10-of-12 at the free throw line.

The Chargers will return right back to Manchester, N.H. in three days time when they head back to the Granite State to take on the Southern New Hampshire Penmen. Tipoff from the Stan Spirou Field House is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. following the women's game. All of the action in the conference battle can be seen live on NE10 NOW.

FIRST HALF HIGHLIGHTS

·        It took nearly two minutes before either team would get on the board, with New Haven the first to break the ice thanks to a fast break layup from Olawoye.

·        Lane would follow that with an and-one before the Hawks got on the board for the first time more than four minutes into the action, but New Haven responded by scoring the next four to open up the early seven point lead, 9-2, again thanks to a fastbreak bucket from Olawoye.

·        Facing that deficit, the Hawks began to heat up using the next four-plus minutes to rattle of 17 straight points and open up a 19-9 lead nearing the midway point of the half and extended that to as much as 11, 22-11, with 9:43 remaining before the break.

·        The Chargers would respond to that deficit with another and-one, this time from Justin Hendrick (Valley Stream, N.Y./St. Francis), the first of five unanswered points that brought New Haven back within six.

·        Over the next four minutes, the teams would trade buckets before a three pointer from Sean Braithwaite (Center Moriches, N.Y./Center Moriches) cut the Hawks deficit to two, 29-27, inside the five minute mark.

·        With 2:42 remaining, the Chargers would completely erase that early double digit deficit, with the second of back-to-back buckets from Thomas knotting the game at 31.

·        Another three from Thomas just before the two minute mark provided the next lead change, while the two teams would trade the final two baskets of the half with the latter a three pointer for the Hawks that provided a one-point lead at the intermission, 37-36.

SECOND HALF HIGHLIGHTS

·        New Haven would again strike first in the period, this time with a three pointer from Lane just 34 seconds in that regained a Charger advantage which was quickly extended to four thanks to a jumper from Thomas.

·        After Lane regained a three-point lead, the Hawks would score five unanswered for another lead change and a 45-43 lead with 12:48 remaining.

·        After a seesaw back and forth over the next two minutes, the Chargers would take the lead for good with 9:49 remaining when Lane drove to the hoop for a second-change bucket.

·        The Hawks would keep it close with New Haven unable to extend its lead beyond six until the final minutes of the game with a three pointer from Thomas providing a 66-58 lead with 1:07 remaining.

·        That three from Thomas would be the final bucket of the game for New Haven, but they would ice the victory at the line going 6-of-6 in the final minute of action while holding the Hawks to just two more field goals, including the final of the game with eight seconds remaining that provided the final margin, 72-63.