WEST HAVEN, Conn. - - A run spanning the halftime break allowed New Haven to take and keep the lead in a 75-64 victory over the Wilmington University men's basketball team on Wednesday night inside the Charger Gymnasium.
It was a 12-0 run that gave the Chargers (6-4) a 37-28 lead early in the second half. The lead grew to as large as 17 points late in the game, as the Wildcats (3-9) couldn't get it back into single digits since the 13:54 mark.
The difference came at the foul line, as the Chargers went 22-for-27 for the game while the Wildcats went 10-for-12. The Wildcats also shot 24-for-64 (37.5 percent) from the floor, including just 6-for-26 (23.1 percent) from three-point territory. All 27 Charger attempts from the line came in the second half.
Trailing 17-12 midway through the first half, Izaiah Credle sparked an 11-0 run for the Wildcats with a layup. Jaylin Horsey and Hamahrie Bowers hit back-to-back-to-back three-pointers, with Horsey's second giving the Wildcats a 23-17 lead with 6:55 to play before the half.
Denim Perkins gave the Wildcats a 26-22 lead and then a Tre Hawkins free throw made it a 28-25 lead for the Wildcats. But the Chargers answered with the final eight points of the half, including a dunk with 34 seconds left to make it a 33-28 Chargers lead at the break.
New Haven started the second half with back-to-back buckets, extending the run to 12 straight to take a 37-28 lead with 18:58 to play.
The Wildcats cut the deficit to as few as six points on two occasions, but the Chargers continued to pull away, taking their first double-digit lead with 14:29 to play. After Tre Hawkins tried to spark the Wildcats with a dunk, the Chargers answered with a 7-0 run, taking a 54-39 lead with 12:45 to play. The Wildcats couldn't get the deficit back under 10 points the rest of the way.
Denim Perkins led the Wildcats with 20 points, shooting 9-of-17 from the floor. Tre Hawkins finished with 10 points and four rebounds while Hamahrie Bowers scored nine points and added five rebounds off the bench. Justin Perez scored seven points while dishing out a game-high five assists. Jihad Simpson and Manir Waller led the team with six rebounds each.
The Wildcats have one final game prior to the mandatory NCAA Division II Holiday Break, as they head farther north to take on Assumption on Friday. The game is set for a 1:00 p.m. tip in Worcester, Massachusetts.