Boxscore

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- The University of Delaware women’s basketball team, led by four scorers in double-figures, cruised to a 70-43 victory over Stony Brook at the Gersten Pavilion in Los Angeles, Calif. in game two of first round action of the Loyola Marymount Holiday Classic. The Blue Hens (7-3) will advance to play the host, Loyola Marymount at 9 p.m. ET tomorrow night.

With this win, Delaware is on a five game win streak and has equaled its win total (seven) from last season. Stony Brook, of the America East Conference, fell to 1-10 and will go on to play San Jose State, who fell to Loyola Marymount in the first game, 81-66.

According to Blue Hen head coach Tina Martin, this young team is learning as it goes, but is starting to come together.

“I think this team is understanding how to play together. I thought today was an overall great team effort,” said the 13th year head coach.

The Blue Hens went on a 14-0 run to start the game, lead by four early points by sophomore forward Eva Riddick. Riddick made her seventh start of the year, and second since freshman Danielle Parker suffered a season-ending injury in practice on Dec. 12, and she has done nicely replacing Parker in the starting lineup. Against Stony Brook, Riddick scored a career high nine points and tied a career high with seven rebounds. She also pitched in a block and two steals in 26 minutes of action.

It was not until nearly eight minutes into the game that Stony Brook’s Kirsten Jeter stole the ball from freshman Jasmine Gibson and put in a layup. Delaware held Stony Brook to 14.3 percent from the field in the first half on 4-28 shooting as the Seawolves turned the ball over 16 times (31 for the game) and managed just 13 first half points.

Meanwhile, Delaware shot 40.6 percent from the field on 13-32 shooting in the first half. The Blue Hens scored 24 points in the paint and 18 points off of turnovers in just the first half to take a 31-13 lead into halftime.

The Blue Hens did not back off in the second half, going on a 19-8 run in the first five minutes of the period to extend its lead to 50-21. Delaware, which has squandered two halftime leads earlier this year to Quinnipiac and Dartmouth, was determined to put Stony Brook away, which is something Coach Martin has been stressing all year.

“I tell my team at halftime that the score is 0-0. I want us to win the second half, and we did that tonight,” said Martin after her team outscored Stony Brook 39-30 in the second half.

Delaware got contributions from all ten players that dressed, and nine out of the 10 got into the scoring column. Four Blue Hens scored in double-figures and they were sophomore guard Vanessa Kabongo (at right, 17 points, 3 assists), junior guard Corinthia Benison (11 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals), sophomore guard Tesia Harris (13 points, 5 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 steal) and freshman guard Jocelyn Bailey (10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals).

For the game, the Blue Hens shot its highest field goal percentage (.443) and scored the most points (70) since its 71-57 win over La Salle in the second game of the season on Nov. 22, 2008. They finished with a season-high 16 assists, scored 36 points in the paint, 31 points off of turnovers and had 12 second chance points. It is the second time they have reached the 70-point mark and the sixth time they have held their opponents under 50.

AGATE:

DELAWARE (7-3, 0-0 CAA)
Riddick, 4-6 0-0 9, Jenkins, 1-4 0-0 3, Kabongo, 8-13 0-0 17, Benison, 3-8 5-5 11, Harris, 4-8 3-4, Bailey, 4-9 2-4 10, McLean, 1-3 0-0 3, Thomas, 1-3 0-0 2, Ferguson, 0-2 0-0 0, Gibson, 1-5 0-3 2.

STONY BROOK (1-10, 0-0 America East)
Kazadi, 2-6 0-0 4, Jeter, 5-18 2-2 13, Murray, 0-3 0-0 0, Horsey, 3-11 0-0 6, Brown, 3-8 2-4 8, Nunn ,1-1 2-2 4, Rushin, 2-5 0-0 4, Jacobs, 2-6 0-0 4.

Halftime Score: Delaware 31, SB 13; Three-Point Field Goals: D - 3-10 (Harris 2-3) SB - 1-5 (Jeter 1-1); Rebounds: D - 40 (Riddick, Benison, Harris, 7), SB - 38 (Jeter, 7); Assists: D - 16 (Harris 5), SB - 12 (Horsey 5); Fouled Out: Rushin -SB; Total Fouls: D - 11, SB - 20.