Boxscore

WILMINGTON, N.C. -- Vanessa Kabongo paced the University of Delaware women’s basketball team with 16 points, 12 of which came in the second half, but Delaware made just one field goal in nearly the last three minutes of play and came up short at UNC Wilmington, 59-53.

The Blue Hens dropped below .500 at 8-9 and are joined by only George Mason, their next opponent, as the only winless Colonial Athletic Association team in conference play at 0-6. This is the Hens’ third straight loss to the Seahawks, who improved to 8-9 (2-4) for the season.

“I’m depending on sophomores right now. When you rely on sophomores, it’s going to be tough at times,” said Delaware head coach Tina Martin of her squad that has led at halftime 11 times this year and only eight wins to show for it. “This is another game we should have won. We’ve put ourselves in positions to win basketball games, but we need our players to make plays, and right now we’re not getting that.”

Delaware was down by just two points at the 1:53 mark when freshman guard Jocelyn Bailey (six points, four rebounds) drove to the basket and connected on a running jumper only to have the shot discounted and pick up her fifth and disqualifying personal foul as the officials congregated and decided to call a charge. The rest of the way, Delaware would only manage a layup by sophomore forward Ariene Jenkins (eight points, six rebounds) with nine seconds left in the game as UNCW’s Treasure Johnson and Candace Walker iced the game with free-throws.

The Blue Hens’ bench managed just eight points in the game - none in the second half. Meanwhile, UNCW got 37 points from its bench, and outscored UD’s bench 15-0 in the second stanza. Johnson was the biggest contributor off the bench for the Seahawks with 10 points and five rebounds.

Delaware was outrebounded for the third straight game as UNCW held a 38-29 edge on the boards led by Walker’s seven. The Hens shot 45.8 percent from the field on 11-of-24 shooting in the first half, but finished the game at 39.2 after shooting 33.3 in the second half.

Delaware started the game on a 10-2 run in the first four minutes of the game, but the Seahawks responded with a 10-2 run of its own to tied the score at 12. The two teams traded baskets throughout the first half and the lead changed five times in the stanza. Bailey’s jumper as time expired would give the Hens a 28-25 lead at halftime.

UNCW got off to a quick start in the second half, taking a 33-32 lead at 17:13 with an 8-4 run. The Seahawks would maintain their lead until just under the 10-minute mark when Kabongo caught fire. The “Canadian Comet” as she is known by UD’s radio personalities, would connect on three jumpers and convert the free-throw after making a layup with the foul, and kept Delaware within one with 6:47 left to play.

Free throws by junior guard Corinthia Benison (11 points, four assists, two steals) would bring the Hens back within two after UNCW pushed the lead to four. Kabongo would make one of two free-throws at 3:58 to close the gap to one, and then Jenkins’ jumper at 3:06 gave the Hens their first lead since 9:56, 50-49.

On the ensuing possession, UNCW’s Johnson connected on a three-point shot from well behind the arc and gave the Seahawks the lead for good.

Delaware comes back home to the Bob Carpenter Center on Sunday to take on George Mason at 1 p.m.