WEST HAVEN, Conn. – New Haven Women's Basketball defended home court with a 63-56 win over the Chicago State Cougars on Thursday night. Aniya McDonald-Perry (Middletown, Conn./Putnam Science Academy) had a monstrous game, scoring 10 points and pulling down 16 rebounds, a mark that ties her career high.

Throughout the tightly-contested game, New Haven found itself trailing 15-13 at the end of the first quarter, but ahead 31-30 at the half. Down once again at the end of the third quarter, the Blue & Gold used a 20-11 fourth frame to earn the win and improve to 3-2 in NEC play.

Lindsay Hogan (Bayville, N.Y./Locust Valley) scored a game-high 15 points, followed by 13 from Merit Innocent (Delta State, Nigeria/Busche Academy). Addisen Sulikowski (Saco, ME/Thornton Academy) also played a big role, scoring 11 points. McDonald-Perry's 16 rebounds are the most from a Charger in a single game this season. Innocent finished one board shy of a double double with nine while Hogan pulled down five. McDonald-Perry, Innocent, and Jasmine McKay (West Babylon, N.Y./North Babylon) all finished with a trio of helpers as New Haven totaled 15 assists as a team in the contest.

"Our two seniors in Lindsay and Aniya stepped up. Aniya had 16 rebounds and 10 points and Lindsay had 15 points, five rebounds, and four steals., Merit had 13 and nine rebounds. Jasmine, Renny, and Teaira gave us good minutes off the bench. Second half we started with energy and played good defense down the stretch," Debbie Buff said postgame.

New Haven returns to the court on Saturday, Jan. 17, as it visits Wagner College for a 2:00 p.m. tipoff.