Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

Boxscore

NEW YORK -- Junior guard Tesia Harris tallied a game-high 24 points to lead the University of Delaware women’s basketball team against host Columbia University, but the Blue Hens dropped a 75-63 decision to the Lions on Wednesday evening at Levien Gymnasium.

Playing its second game without Naismith National Player of the Year candidate Elena Delle Donne, Delaware (2-3 overall) was riddled by foul-trouble and a 56.7 free throw percentage, as the Hens dropped their second straight contest and Columbia (4-3 overall) knotted the teams’ all-time series at 1-1. Delle Donne suffered an ankle injury in Delaware’s 72-43 win over Houston at the Coors Rocky Mountain Invitational at Colorado State University on Nov. 27. Her date of return to the hardwood has yet to determined and will be decided on a day-to-day basis.

Though the game was tied twice in the opening three minutes, the Lions went ahead at 16:20 to lead all but 10 seconds of the remaining 36:20 of action. Delaware was able to keep Columbia within six and make a comeback to go ahead on a Harris (at right) three-pointer at 7:40, but the Lions answered with a three of their own to secure the lead for good.

The Lions led 41-30 at the break, but UD worked its way back to a four-point deficit on two occasions early in the second frame. The Lions responded to a layup by sophomore guard Jocelyn Bailey that brought the game to 45-41, with a 19-3 run to seal a comfortable double-digit advantage. The Lions ultimately continued their dominance to finalize all scoring at 75-63.

Columbia opened with a pair of free throws by Lions’ leader scorer, junior Kathleen Bailey, before Harris drove the paint for a layup to put the Hens on the board and tie the game. The Lions responded with a Judie Lomax layup to which Harris responded and hit a jumper to again tie the game. It was a Barry jumper at 16:20 that put the Lions ahead for the majority of the game.

The teams exchanged baskets throughout the first and Columbia held the upper hand until freshman guard Lauren Carra utilized a Harris screen to hit a three-pointer and make it a one-point game. The Lions returned to their offensive end and Hens’ freshman forward Danielle Parker pulled down a rebound that led to Harris’ go-ahead three-pointer at 7:40. Leading 19-17, Delaware held its lead for just 10 seconds before sophomore Melissa Shafer hit one of Columbia’s eight three-pointers on the night to permanently take the lead.

Shafer’s shot tipped-off an 11-2 run for the Lions that left the Hens trailing 28-21 with 4:17 lingering in the first half. Harris and junior forward Ariene Jenkins recorded back-to-back layups for the Hens, but two Columbia three-pointers and a pair of free throws put the Lions ahead by 11. Senior guard Corinthia Benison drove down low to score for the Blue and Gold before each team drained long shots. Columbia served as the last to score when sophomore Mary Beato connected on two from the charity stripe to give the Lions a confident 41-30 cushion at intermission.

A layup by sophomore center Jasmine Gibson was the start of an 11-4 run by the Hens to open the second stint of play, but a commanding 19-3 Columbia response put a damper on Delaware’s hopes of a comeback.

Jenkins scored a layup to polish off the Hens’ run at 15:55 and bring the game within four points. The head-to-head remained scoreless for over two minutes until Columbia’s senior Danielle Browne hit the latter half of a pair of free throws at 13:41. The Lions dominated the game for six and a half minutes until Carra drained six unanswered points.

Six points scored via foul shots followed, four for the Lions and two for UD. There were 53 fouls committed throughout the contest.

Jenkins notched a layup at 2:54, but Barry answered back with a layup of her own and converted the ensuing foul shot awarding the Lions a 17-point lead with merely 2:44 remaining on the clock. Carra was fouled in the same fashion the following play. She made good on her layup and free throw before Lomax went 2-for-2 from the charity stripe.

Harris drove inside for a layup at 1:53 and connected on the back end of her free throws at 1:26, but another Barry layup restored the lead to 15. Down the stretch, Carra sunk two free throws, and Jenkins one, but the Hens ran out of time as the final buzzer sounded.

Led by Harris’ season-high 24, Carra recorded a career-high 15 points, Jenkins added seven, and Parker six for the Blue Hens. Parker also tallied a team-high seven rebounds.

Columbia had four in double figures as Barry, Beato, Lomax and Sara Lee tallied 18, 17, 15, and 10, respectively. Lomax led the game with her sixth double-double of the season, pulling down 14 rebounds.

Delaware shot 42.0 percent from the field and Columbia converted 41.2 percent of all shots.

Delaware will next travel to UMBC for a 2 p.m. contest at RAC Arena on Saturday, Dec. 5. The matchup with the Retrievers will be the Hens’ sixth consecutive road game. The Hens’ game at Maine (12/8) will finalize UD’s seven-game road streak that begins its 2009-10 campaign.

AGATE:

Delaware.......30.....33........63
Columbia......41.....34........75

Delaware (2-3): Harris 8-19 6-8 24, Carra 4-9 5-7 15, Jenkins 3-4 1-2 7, Parker 1-4 4-6 6, Gibson 2-5 0-4 4, Benison 1-1 1-2 3, Riddick 1-2 0-0 2, Bailey 1-4 0-1 2, May 0-0 0-0 0, Kabongo 0-2 0-0 0; Totals: 21-50 17-30 63.

Columbia (4-3): Barry 5-13 7-7 18, Beato 4-8 6-7 17, Lomax 4-9 7-11 15, Yee 3-8 2-2 10, Shafer 3-4 0-0 8, Dwyer 2-6 0-0 4, Browne 0-2 3-6 3, Fuller 0-0 0-0 0, Stachon 0-1 0-0 0, Simpson 0-0 0-0 0; Totals: 21-51 25-33 75.

Halftime: Delaware 30, Columbia 41; Three-Point Field Goals: DEL 4-11 (Harris, 2; Carra, 2), COL 8-17 (Beato, 3); Rebounds: DEL - 31 (Parker, 7), COL - 40 (Lomax, 14); Assists: DEL - 4 (Harris, 3), COL - 15 (Browne, 7); Fouled Out: UD - Gibson, UD - Benison, UD - Parker, COL - Dwyer; Fouls: DEL - 28, COL - 25; Attendance: 191.