NEWARK, DE -- The University of Delaware women’s basketball squad got its 2005-06 season off to a good start Friday evening as the Blue Hens placed four scorers in double figures and cruised to a 71-44 non-league victory over the University of Massachusetts at the Bob Carpenter Center.

The Blue Hens (1-0), who captured last year’s Colonial Athletic Association regular season championship with a 25-6 record and advanced to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament for the third time in the last five years, got 14 points from junior guard Alena Koshansky (right) and a career-high 12 points off the bench from Karleena Tobin to post the win.

Massachusetts (0-1), which went 14-15 a year ago as a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference, got a game-high 18 points from forward Pam Rosanio but the rest of the squad accounted for just 26 points. The Minutewomen shot just 14 of 43 from the field, made just 1 of 14 three-pointers, and committed 24 turnovers en route to the 27-point loss.

Delaware, which has now won nine straight regular season non-league
games at home, also got 11 points from junior guard Tyresa Smith while
senior forward Amanda Blackstone came off the bench to add 10 points and
pull a team-high eight rebounds.

The Hens shot 52.7 percent from the field, connecting on 29 of 55 shots
from the field, including a sizzling 15 of 26 (.577) in the second half
as Delaware pulled away. Koshansky hit on two of three three-pointers
and also dished out a team-high three assists in a balanced effort. All
10 Delaware players who saw action scored.

Delaware broke open a close game in the final minutes of the first half
to take control. The Hens led just 15-13 with 7:56 left in the opening
stanza after two free throws by Rosanio, but Tobin hit two free throws
and followed with a jumper minutes later and senior center Arek Deng hit
two baskets to ignite an 8-0 run and lead the Hens to a 31-15 halftime
cushion.

Massachusetts never got closer than 13 in the second half. After Rosanio
hit her team’s only three-pointer with 15:36 left to cut the lead to
39-26, the Hens then followed with a 10-3 run to up the lead to 20
points.

Boxscore