WEST HAVEN, Conn. (Interstat) — The Le Moyne women’s basketball team overcame a slow start to defeat New Haven 48-40 on Thursday night at Charger Gymnasium. The Dolphins, who scored only 15 first-half points, found their rhythm after halftime. A 14-point third quarter gave them a lead they would not relinquish, keyed by a game-high 17 points from Sierra Linnin. Eli Clark added 13 points and five assists for Le Moyne. New Haven was led by Addisen Sulikowski and Lindsay Hogan, who each scored 10 points. The Chargers struggled offensively, shooting just 33.3% from the floor and committing 20 turnovers. Both teams now hold 4-win records in non-conference play.

WEST HAVEN, Conn. (Interstat) — In a defensive struggle defined more by missed opportunities than made shots, the Le Moyne women’s basketball team secured a rare road victory, holding off the University of New Haven 48-40 in a Northeast Conference matchup on Thursday night at Charger Gymnasium. The game, played before an announced crowd of 354, saw both teams combine to shoot just 32 of 90 from the field and commit 37 turnovers. Le Moyne, however, executed with slightly more efficiency down the stretch and capitalized at the free-throw line to snap a two-game skid and improve to 4-12 overall. New Haven fell to 4-10. The most critical phase of the contest arrived in the fourth quarter. Leading 29-28 after three quarters of grinding, low-percentage basketball, Le Moyne opened the final period with a decisive 9-2 run. Sierra Linnin, who led all scorers with 17 points, ignited the surge with a 3-pointer off an assist from Eli Clark just 8 seconds into the quarter. After a putback by New Haven’s Merit Innocent, the Dolphins answered with a Clark layup and, following a Chargers turnover, another 3-pointer from Clark that pushed the lead to 38-30 with 6:01 remaining. New Haven, which never led after the first quarter, could not mount a sustained response. The Chargers closed within five points on two occasions in the final three minutes, the last at 40-35 on a Lindsay Hogan layup. Each time, Le Moyne had an answer. Following Hogan’s basket, Linnin connected on her fourth 3-pointer of the night to restore an eight-point cushion with 2:46 left. Hogan answered with a 3 of her own to make it 43-40, but Le Moyne’s Kayden Clark silenced the threat with a clutch corner 3-pointer on the ensuing possession, effectively sealing the game with 2:02 to play. The contest began as a slog, with the teams tied at 4-4 nearly five minutes into the first quarter. New Haven’s Addisen Sulikowski, who finished with 10 points, provided an early spark with a 3-pointer for the game’s first points, but offensive continuity was scarce. Le Moyne led 8-6 after a first quarter that featured more combined turnovers (11) than field goals (5). The Dolphins extended their lead to 15-8 in the second quarter before New Haven found a brief rhythm. Back-to-back 3-pointers from Linnin and New Haven’s Schuyler Coles highlighted a flurry of activity in the final 90 seconds of the half, which ended with the Chargers trailing 17-15. The third quarter was a continuation of the defensive battle, with five lead changes and two ties. New Haven briefly claimed a 22-21 advantage on a Hogan layup, but Le Moyne closed the quarter on an 8-6 spurt, keyed by four points from Clark, to take a one-point lead into the final frame. Clark, a guard from Oakhurst, New Jersey, was instrumental for Le Moyne, finishing with 13 points, five assists and three steals in 34 minutes. Ashley Buragas added six points, three assists and three steals. The Dolphins, despite being outrebounded 41-28 and allowing 11 offensive boards, forced 20 New Haven turnovers, converting them into 15 points. They also made 12 of 16 free throws, while New Haven attempted only two, making one. For New Haven, Hogan and Sulikowski each scored 10 points, with Hogan adding a game-high 38 minutes. Innocent contributed eight points and three assists. The Chargers struggled profoundly from the perimeter, shooting 5 of 20 from 3-point range and posting an offensive rating of just 65.6 points per 100 possessions. The victory marked a measure of resilience for Le Moyne, which entered the game as a significant underdog according to advanced metrics. The Dolphins’ defense, which entered allowing an average of 74.6 points per game, held an opponent under 50 points for the first time this season. Le Moyne continues its conference schedule on the road Saturday at Central Connecticut. New Haven looks to rebound Saturday at Fairleigh Dickinson.

Preview: Le Moyne Dolphins at New Haven Chargers WEST HAVEN, Conn. (Interstat) — Two teams seeking momentum in Northeast Conference play will meet Thursday when the New Haven Chargers host the Le Moyne Dolphins in a women’s basketball matchup at Charger Gymnasium. Both squads enter with struggling overall records. Le Moyne is 3-12, while New Haven sits at 4-9. Each team, however, is coming off a victory in its most recent outing, providing a potential spark for the conference opener. The Dolphins snapped a five-game skid with a 73-69 home win over Saint Francis (PA) on Jan. 2 before falling 89-72 to Mercyhurst on Sunday. In that loss, forward Ashley Buragas posted a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, and guard Sierra Linnin added a team-high 21 points. Buragas has been a consistent bright spot for Le Moyne, averaging 16.3 points and 7.3 rebounds over her last three games, including a 16-point, 7-rebound, 4-assist performance in a win over SUNY Geneseo on Dec. 30. New Haven has won two straight, defeating Stonehill 66-61 and Central Connecticut 70-51 last weekend. The Chargers are led by Aniya McDonald-Perry, who dominated in the win over Central Connecticut with 22 points and 11 rebounds. She followed that with 23 points in 40 minutes against Stonehill, showcasing her role as a primary scorer and rim protector. The Chargers will look to leverage their home court and recent defensive form, having held their last two opponents to an average of 56 points. Le Moyne’s challenge will be finding consistent scoring support behind Buragas as it navigates a difficult road stretch. Thursday’s contest is the first of a back-to-back for both teams. Le Moyne travels to face Central Connecticut on Saturday, while New Haven visits Fairleigh Dickinson. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.