THE BASICS:
- Score: New Haven 69, Assumption 56
- Records: New Haven (9-5, 3-5 NE10), Assumption (5-11, 1-8 NE10)
- Location: West Haven, Conn. (Charger Gym)
- The Lead: Assumption led early, but New Haven countered with a run to grab the lead for good in the first half as the Chargers came away with a 69-56 victory over the Hounds on Saturday afternoon in conference action.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Assumption jumped out to an 8-4 lead on a Chris Crespo (Smithtown, N.Y. / Smithtown West) triple in the opening minutes. New Haven responded with an 8-3 run to grab a 12-11 lead at 13:51. The Chargers extended the lead to four, before a pair of Damien Rance (Melbourne, Australia / Pope John XXIII) free throws trimmed it to 15-13 over a minute later.
- Another Rance jumper at 11:48 cut it to 17-15, however, New Haven responded with a 12-2 run over the next seven minutes to stretch its lead to 29-17. Rance ended the run with a pair of free throws at 2:45, but the Chargers outscored the Hounds 8-3 over the final two minutes to go into the break leading 37-22.
- Four Assumption points cut the deficit to 11 in the first minute of the second half, though a quick 6-1 run by New Haven pushed the lead to 43-27 at 17:19. The Hounds managed to close the gap to 12 points on a Matthew Kelly (North Potomac, Md. / Quince Orchard) layup at 14:18, but Assumption couldn't get any closer over the next 11 minutes. Kelly connected on a pair of free throws with 3:08 left to narrow the gap to 13 points, and the teams traded baskets over the final three minutes for a 69-56 final.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Assumption shot 35.8 percent in the contest, including 9 of 24 from beyond the arc. New Haven, made 50 percent of its field goal attempts, though only went 5 of 17 from downtown. The Chargers also held a 36-27 rebounding advantage, but did commit three more turnovers (11-8).
- Kelly paced the attack with 18 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals, while Rance supplied 15 points and six boards. Cal Connelly (Rochester, N.H. / Spaulding) was also in double figures with 14 points and four rebounds while making 4 of 8 from three.
- Elijah Bailey led New Haven with 24 points and four rebounds, while Derrick Rowland added 14 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals.
UP NEXT:
- Assumption returns to action on Jan. 19 when the team travels to play Pace at 3:30 p.m.
STAY CONNECTED:
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