Dec. 20, 2008

Box Score

West Haven, Conn. - The Adelphi University women's basketball team suffered a tough 91-63 road loss at the University of New Haven this afternoon at Charger Gymnasium. The Chargers improve to 6-3, while the Panthers fall to 5-4.

Sophomore Ashley Caiafa led the Panthers with 20 points. Freshman Erika Cottle posted a collegiate best of 13 points off the bench. Senior Serita Lee led Adelphi with 10 rebounds along with eight points.

The Chargers opened on a 4-0 start, but the Panthers knotted the score at 6-6 on a trifeca by Caiafa at 16:27. UNH responded on a 18-6 run to lead, 24-12, at 12:22. The Chargers shot 48.9 percent from the field in the first-half as their lead ballooned to 24 points, 49-25, with 1:24 remaining. The Panthers, who shot 33 percent from the field, trailed 51-29 at intermission.

Adelphi shot an improved 38.9 percent in the second half, but they were no match for UNH which hit 16-of-27, or 59.3 percent from the field. The Chargers largest lead of the contest, 73-38, came on a layup by Nikki Carroll with 13:40 left in the contest. Cottle scored seven of her 10 second-half points in the final ten minutes of play, but the Panthers couldn't maintain a consistent rally to close the gap.

"[New Haven] played hard and they played well together," Head Coach Kelley Watts said. "We just couldn't handle the double team in the first half."

UNH outrebounded Adelphi 49-33 and forced 24 turnovers including 15 steals.

The Chargers had four players in double figures led by Carroll with 25 points and nine boards. Lauren Hood had 15 points, while Alysia Saunders and Briiana Rende chipped in 10 points a piece.

Adelphi returns to action on Monday, December 22, when they host #7-ranked Stonehill College at 6:00 p.m.