WEST HAVEN, Conn. – Junior Lindsay Hogan (Bayville, N.Y./Locust Valley) broke up a 49-49 tie with 78 seconds remaining in the game with her second three pointer of the day and it couldn't have come at a better time as she led the New Haven women's basketball team to a 56-49 win over the visiting Saint Michael's Purple Knights With the win, the Chargers improve to 11-5 on the season and 6-4 in the Northeast-10 Conference.
Hogan was one of two Chargers to finish in double figures as she led all players in the game with 18 points, connecting on 6-of-15 from the field, including the two three pointers. She also finished 4-of-4 at the free throw line with all of those coming in the final minute as she closed out the game scoring the Chargers final seven points.
Joining Hogan in leading the Chargers was Aniya McDonald-Perry (Middletown, Conn./Putnam Science Academy) who finished with 11 points which came on 4-of-7 from the field and 3-of-4 at the free throw line. Both Charlotte Bassett (Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury) and Schuyler Coles (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Township) would follow that duo with seven points apiece.
As a team, New Haven finished the afternoon shooting 39.2 percent from the field, connecting on 20 field goals in 51 attempts, with five of the 20 field goals from outside the three point arc. The Chargers also took advantage of multiple trips to the line, converting 11-of-13 attempts.
New Haven also won the battle of the boards with a 38-28 margin, led by McDonald-Perry who finished with eight rebounds. Just behind her with seven was Bassett as seven different Chargers pulled down at least a pair of rebounds.
COACHES QUOTES
"That was a big win for program today, now with 11 on the season," said head coach Debbie Buff. "Lindsay [Hogan] was big on both sides of the floor today. Our team defense is back and we need to continue to build on that. Big comeback game for Aniya [McDonald-Perry].
FIRST QUARTER NOTES
· Just 18 seconds off of Paige Cote (Sanford, Maine/Sanford) winning the opening tip, New Haven was the first to strike with Hogan collecting a pass from Bassett outside the arc and sending through the hoop for three.
· The Chargers would go on to score nine of the first 11 points to take an early seven point lead, once again with Hogan doing the damage, this time as she drove through the lane for a layup.
· Saint Michael's responded by rattling off five straight to pull within a pair before Bassett broke the momentum with a pick and drive to the hoop for the fast break bucket.
· The Purple Knights kept the pressure on, this time around scoring seven straight for their first lead of the game at 14-12 on a three pointer.
· The Chargers would get the last word in the quarter with Sabira Ahayeva (Minsk, Belarus/Minsk #27) closing out the period the same way Hogan opened things up with a three pointer thanks to the pass from Coles.
SECOND QUARTER NOTES
· After picking a Purple Knights pass on the opening possession, Hogan would go on to score first for the Chargers yet again, this time as she accepted a high-low pass from Cote through traffic and converted the layup.
· McDonald-Perry added a pair of free throws before the Purple Knights would get on the board in the second quarter, taking more than 90 seconds before connecting for their first points.
· Trailing by five, the Purple Knights rattled off seven of the next eight points for their second lead of the game at 21-20.
· New Haven answered that by flipping the score back in their favor with Hogan turning the momentum on a jumper with just under five minutes remaining. Including that bucket, the Blue and Gold would go on to close out the quarter on a 13-7 rally to take a five point lead into the intermission.
· The Chargers largest lead of the quarter came when Coles stepped in front of a Purple Knights passed, tipped it forward and went straight to the hoop for the fastbreak bucket to make it 33-26.
THIRD QUARTER NOTES
· For the first time in the game the Purple Knights struck first with a three pointer to open the second half, the first of back-to-back buckets that quickly knotted the game at 33.
· New Haven answered with back-to-back baskets of its own, both from McDonald-Perry to regain a four point lead but that would be the biggest of the quarter for either team as they would trade points until the final two minutes of the quarter.
· The squads would find themselves deadlocked on two more occasions, the first at 37 and the next at 40 before New Haven closed out the frame with the final five points.
· Following a pair of free throws from Pendleton, McDonald-Perry would come up clutch on the Purple Knights final possession with a block that she collected the rebound and found Coles on the outlet. Once over the midcourt line, Coles heaved a shot that banked off the backboard and through the hoop to give New Haven a 45-40 lead at the final intermission.
FOURTH QUARTER NOTES
· Coles built off that late momentum to open the fourth quarter scoring on a jumper outside the paint to extend the Chargers lead to seven.
· Saint Michael's wouldn't let up, answering that seven point deficit by scoring nine unanswered to take a 49-47 lead with that rally spanning four minutes.
· McDonald-Perry put an end to that run with a second chance layup to knot the game at 49 with 3:33 to play.
· Neither team would score over the next 2:30 before Hogan hit from outside the arc thanks to an assist from McDonald-Perry that broke the stalemate. She would go on to finish out the game 4-of-4 at the line while defensively New Haven held the Purple Knights scoreless over the final 5:11 of the game.
UP NEXT
The Chargers continue their season-long three-game homestand on Wednesday night when they host the Assumption Greyhounds to begin the second venture through the Northeast-10 Conference slate. The first meeting between the two squads came back in November and came down to the wire with the Greyhounds taking the 54-52 win on their home court. Opening tip in the conference clash is slated for 5:30 p.m. with all of the action available live on NE10 Now on Flo College.
