Boxscore / File Photo Courtesy of Chris Permar

NEWARK, Del. -- Sophomore forward Ariene Jenkin (at right) posted her first career double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds and the University of Delaware defense forced Maine into 28 turnovers as the Blue Hens posted a 55-40 women’s basketball non-league win Sunday afternoon at the Bob Carpenter Center.

Sophomore guard Tesia Harris added 11 points and Corinthia Benison chipped in with 10 points and posted five steals as the Blue Hens (4-3) won their second straight game and posted their best defensive effort since a 42-37 win over Virginia Commonwealth Feb. 7, 2008. Jenkins pulled nine of her game-high 13 rebounds off the offensive boards as Delaware grabbed 23 offensive rebounds for the game.

Maine, which was coming off a 54-52 win over defending Northeast Conference champion Robert Morris, got 10 points off the bench Brittany Boser while Samantha Baranowski added nine points and four rebounds.

The Black Bears (2-5), a former rival of Delaware’s in the America East, lost for just the second time in 11 trips to the Bob Carpenter Center and for just the fifth time in 22 all-time meetings with Delaware.

Delaware, which held its second straight opponent under 50 points and its third for the season, forced 28 turnovers and held Maine to just 24.4 percent shooting from the field. Maine hit just 3 of 13 first half points and finished 10 of 41 from the field, including 0 for 8 from beyond the three-point arc.

“A win is a win and we’ll take it,” said Delaware head coach Tina Martin, whose team hit just 17 of 68 shots from the field (25 percent) and was 1 for 7 from the three-point line for the game. “It wasn’t pretty, but we scored more points than they did and it was because we played good defense and rebounded well (48-43 advantage). Ariene has been a monster on the boards lately and we really need that. We got some great looks today but we just couldn’t knock down the shots. We’re a young team, and I think it’s a matter of confidence. Once we get confidence, we’ll start making those shots.”

The Blue Hens led the entire second half but did not pull away until the final eight minutes after Maine got to within four points at 34-30 with 8:30 left to play on a layup by Baranowski. Delaware responded with a 9-2 run to take a 43-34 lead with 5:48 remaining and stayed in front by double digits the rest of the way. Jenkins started the run with a three-point play and Harris, Danielle Parker, and Jocelyn Bailey followed by making two free throws each.

Delaware took a 23-17 lead at halftime despite making just 1 of 20 field goal attempts during one stretch. The Hens stayed in front thanks to its defense as Delaware forced the Black Bears into 3 of 13 shooting from the field and 18 turnovers in the opening stanza. Maine finished the half on a 6-2 run to reduce a 10-point lead to six at the break.