Box Score Philadelphia, Pa. - (11/13/2016) – In the season opening contest for the Chestnut Hill College women's basketball team, sophomore Mary Trossi (Somerset, N.J.) proved to be the catalyst for the Griffins' offense, scoring 14 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the free throw line, adding 12 assists and hauling in five rebounds to lead the Scarlet and Gold to a 82-77 non-conference victory over the University of New Haven at Sorgenti Arena on Sunday afternoon.
 
Along with Trossi's double-double Chestnut Hill College (1-0) were led by senior guard Caity Kuhnen (Binghamton, N.Y.), who scored a game-high 25 point to go along with six rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block. Fellow senior guard Brittany McDonough (Brooklyn, N.Y.) also scored in double digits for the Griffins, adding 18 points, five rebounds and three assists in the victory.
 
The University of New Haven (0-2) was paced by sophomore guard Alexandria Kerr (Montclair, N.J.) who notched a double-double of her own, scoring 19 points to go along with 13 rebounds for the Chargers. Freshman forward Micah Wormack (Cumberland, Md.) narrowly missed out on a double-double of her own, scoring nine points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
 
The game was fiercely contested in the opening minutes, with a Trossi assist putting the Griffins up 9-8 with 5:42 remaining. A Kuhnen layup pushed the lead to four, 14-10, but the visitors responded, using an 11-1 run, capped by a jumper from senior guard Sade King (Mount Vernon, N.Y.), to take a 21-15 lead with 1:17 remaining. A McDonough three-pointer would trim the deficit down to three, but the Chargers' defense held strong, closing out the first quarter with a 25-20 lead.
 
The University of New Haven jumped out early in the second stanza, with an old-fashion three-point play from sophomore center Katia Oge (New City, N.Y.) staking the visitors to a 10-point 34-24 lead. The Griffins would battle back, with a three-pointer from Kuhnen off a Trossi assist knotting the contest at 34 apiece, but the Chargers responded, finishing the period on an 11-3 run to take a 45-38 lead into the halftime break.
 
The Griffins, playing a high-tempo style, began to wear down the visitors in the third quarter. Following numerous surges that were thwarted, the Griffins finally reclaimed the lead at the 3:38 mark of the quarter, with a Kuhnen fast break lay-up putting the hosts up 58-56. The lead wouldn't be extended, however, as the teams trading baskets down the stretch. The visitors would get the last laugh with a Kerr three giving the Chargers a 67-65 lead entering the final 10 minutes.
 
The University of New Haven would extend their advantage to four, 69-65, following a Wormack layup, but the Griffins' high-paced offense and pressure defense finally began to show some effect. A jumper by McDonough would knot the game at 69-69, marking the final time Chestnut Hill College wouldn't hold the advantage. A Kuhnen layup off a beautiful feed from McDonough extended the advantage to seven, 77-70, with 2:42 remaining. The Chargers battled back, trimming the lead down to one, 78-77, but the Scarlet and Gold proved too strong, finishing the game on a 4-0 run and escaping with an 82-77 victory.
 
Chestnut Hill College returns to action on Wednesday, November 16, when they open Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) play by hosting Georgian Court University. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. and will be the team's "Go 4 the Goal" contest, a program which helps children with cancer achieve their goals.