NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The University of New Haven women’s basketball team concluded its 2008-09 regular season with a 58-56 win over hosting Merrimack College on Tuesday night at Volpe Gym. The Charger clinch the 11th seed in the Northeast-10 Conference Championship Tournament and finish the regular season with a 15-12 overall record, 10-12 in the NE-10. The Warriors finish 12th in the NE-10 with a 9-18 overall record and an 8-14 conference record.

The Chargers travel to Assumption College on Sunday, March 1 in the opening round of the conference tournament. Stay posted for more information on the game.

UNH came out firing in the first five minutes of Tuesday’s game. They went on an 11-2 run to open the first 4:58. The Warriors answered with their own 8-0 run to bring them within one at 11-10. Lauren Hood’s layup at the 9:08 mark gave the Chargers a 13-10 lead. The Warriors briefly gained the lead and led by four, 31-27, at the break.

The Chargers kept it close for the first ten minutes of the second period. Hood connected from downtown at the 8:48 mark, giving the Chargers a one-point lead, their first lead of the second half. Merrimack regained the lead and led until the 2:08 mark when Briiana Rende sunk back-to-back three-pointers, giving the Chargers a 57-54 lead. The Chargers missed a few free throws down the stretch but forced two Warrior turnovers to seal the victory.

The Chargers narrowly led in the rebounding category (43-42), but held a large advantage in assists (21-12). The Charger, however, trailed in shooting percentage (34.8 percent to 40.7 percent) and three-point shooting percentage (23.5 percent to 31.3 percent).

Hood finished with a game-high 26 points, one point shy of her season-high. She also grabbed 11 rebounds, including seven offensive boards. The senior added three assists, two blocks and one steal. Rende finished with 11 points and Nikki Carroll finished with 10 points. Dominique Stellmacher grabbed 10 rebounds and Helin Marte led the team with seven assists.

The Chargers return to action on Sunday, March 1 in the opening round of the Northeast-10 Conference Championship Tournament against the sixth seeded Assumption College. Stay posted for more information on the game which will be played in Worcester, Mass. at Assumption.