PHOTO GALLERY
WEST HAVEN, Conn. – Eleven different players got in on the action as the New Haven men's basketball (3-7) team dropped 92 points in a 92-56 home win over Georgian Court in its final game heading into the holiday break. Leading the efforts overall was redshirt freshman Ethan Simmon (Edison, N.J./St. Joseph Metuchen) who finished with 27 points, including seven three pointers.
The 92 points for the Chargers is the most they have put up in 22 months with the last 90+ performance coming back on February 8, 2022, a 90-56 win over Saint Rose. It is also the first time we have defeated an opponent by 30 or more points since that same game against the Golden Knights.
Simmon was one of three Chargers to finish in double figures as he was joined by senior Davontrey Thomas (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Poughkeepsie) and freshman Jah'Likai King (Newburgh, N.Y./Newburgh Free Academy) who finished with 19 and 16 points, respectively. Among the three leading scorers Simmon led the way in the shooting column, connecting on 9-of-13, with his seven three pointers coming on 10 attempts. The 27 points also reflect his first collegiate game with 20 or more in the scoring column, while he scored the 27 points in under 25 minutes of action, coming off the bench.
As a team, New Haven closed out the game shooting a season-high 57.1 percent from the field (36-of-63), with 14 of those field goals coming from outside the three point arc where they finished 14-of-27 for 51.9 percent. Following the three leading scorers for New Haven was sophomore Joshua Hopson (Jersey City, N.J./MacDuffie School) and junior Jason Edokpayi (Laurel, Md./Mount St. Joseph) who each finished with six points while grad transfer Tyler Saint-Furcy (Inwood, N.Y./Lawrence Woodmere Academy) finished with five.
The Chargers weren't just seeing the basket with clarity, they were seeing the whole floor, finishing the night with 23 assists among their 36 field goals, with 10 different players dishing out at least one. Leading the way was junior Jojo Lingisi-Ombongo (Hamilton, Ontario/St. Thomas More) who extends his team lead in that category with six more, giving him 33 total on the year. The 26 assists for the Chargers is also the most since that same Saint Rose win in 2022 when they finished with 27.
New Haven also protected the rock spectacularly, finishing the 40 minutes of action with just seven turnovers, the fourth game this season with 10 or fewer. On the flip side, the Chargers forced Georgian Court into 12 turnovers and converted them into 24 points. New Haven also won the battle in the paint by a 42-28 margin and outscoring the Lions 10-0 on second chance opportunities.
As a team, New Haven finished the night with 35 rebounds, compared to 28 for the Lions. Individually, Simmon led the way with nine boards, while nine different players pulled down at least two on the night.
New Haven will cap off the 2023 portion of their schedule with a pre-New Year's matinee on the road at the College of Staten Island on Saturday, December 30. Tip off in the non-conference battle is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. from Staten Island's Sports & Recreation Center.
