Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

Boxscore

HARRISONBURG, Va. - Freshman sensation Elena Delle Donne set a conference and school record for points in a game after dropping 54 on James Madison, including a game-tying three-pointer at the end of regulation, but her efforts were not enough as the University of Delaware women’s basketball team fell to the Dukes, 88-83, during a classic Colonial Athletic Association battle at the JMU Convocation Center on Wednesday evening.

During the game, Delle Donne (at right), a Naismith nominee and All-America candidate, trumped the school’s previous scoring record of 39. Earlier this year against Buffalo, she tied the single-game mark originally set by Lori Howard against Temple on January 27, 1981. In fact, not only did Delle Donne destroy the women’s record at Delaware, but also surpassed the UD men’s basketball record of 52 set by Liston Houston on Feb. 19, 1910 against Lebanon Valley, exactly one day shy of a century ago.

Delle Donne’s 54 points also eclipsed the conference scoring record of 51 set by George Mason’s Keri Chaconas against East Carolina on February 17, 1995, while her 18 field goals ties the CAA mark shared by former UNC Wilmington stars Tressa Reese and Wanda Carroll.

Her 54 points were the most by any NCAA Division I men’s or women’s player this season and seventh highest total in NCAA women’s basketball history since 1982. The 54 points were the most since Jackie Stiles of Missouri State dropped in 56 points vs. Evansville on March 10, 2000, and doubles as the NCAA Division I freshman record for points in a contest, again, since the compilation of stats from 1982.

The performance helped the Wilmington, Del. native to break the arena scoring record, topping the previous mark of 45 set by Basketball Hall of Famer and former Navy star David Robinson against JMU on January 10, 1987.

In addition, her seven three-pointers (7-for-8) set a new single-game record that was previously held by three players with six, and helped her to 55 on the season to break the previous season record of 49. Megan Dellegrotti had held the record since the 2000-01 season. Delle Donne, who broke nine records and tied one, also slashed the Delaware record for most field goals in a contest with 18 (18-for-28). Howard previously held the record with 16 set during her 39-point performance against Temple.

Tonight’s performance helped Delle Donne to her sixth 30-point game, of her 23-game career at Delaware, to become the only Blue Hen to have more than five in a career. Howard, who also previously had the scoring and field goals per game records, tallied five during her career, 1977-81. With her 54-point outing, Delle Donne improved to 622 points on the season, within 10 of the single-season scoring record set by Tyresa Smith with 632 in 2006-07.

“Elena’s game was the greatest individual performance that I’ve ever coached,” said veteran head coach Tina Martin. “There are only a few people in the country who can shoot the way she does with two and three people hanging on her. I have an All-American on my team. Her name is Elena Delle Donne and yes, I’m going to get her the ball. That’s what you do when you have great players.”

In a game that was tied on 16 occasions and which lead changed 13 times, Delaware came up short in the extra period. The Blue Hens have now dropped six conference game, three in overtime, by a total of 14 points.

The Hens and the Dukes truly battled back-and-forth for the entirety of the 45 minutes of action, but the Dukes were able to garner a steady lead at the end of the first to lead by as many as eight, and six at intermission, 36-30.

In the second frame of action, JMU twice led by eight in the early moments before Delaware went on a 7-0 run to bring the game within one. Delaware was able to pull ahead for the first time since the initial stint at 10:35 with a pair of Delle Donne free throws. The teams would change possession of the lead multiple times before the Dukes took a four-point lead with just 19 seconds lingering in regulation.

Delle Donne dribbled the length of the court to hit a three-pointer with eight seconds on the clock and UD immediately fouled JMU’s Dawn Evans who went to line to sink two. Now trailing by three, and in similar fashion to the previous Delaware play, the 6-5 forward/guard sprint-dribbled to UD territory and got off a shot despite the heavy defensive pressure. The trey swished through the net and brought the Blue Hen bench and fans to its feet to send the game to an extra period.

In overtime, the Hens were able to take a one-point advantage at 4:08, but the Dukes were too much for Delaware and went ahead for good at 3:21. JMU capitalized on three UD turnovers and 10-of-12 free throw opportunities to secure the victory and help JMU to a fourth-place CAA standing, edging Delaware to fifth.

Freshman Lauren Carra and junior guard Tesia Harris also tallied double-digits for the Hens with 13 and 10, respectively. Harris added nine rebounds, while Carra dished-out a team-high four assists.

Evans led the Dukes with 38 points to tie a JMU single-game record that she already shared, while adding a game-high five assists. Three additional Dukes hit the double-figure marks as Jalissa Taylor netted 15, Tarik Hislop 11, and Sarah Williams 10.

Delaware shot 53.7 percent from the field, surpassing the 50 percent plateau for the fourth time this season. Like it has each of its other 24 opponents, UD held James Madison below 50 percent shooting with a 40.6 percent performance. The Hens also outdid the Dukes from beyond the arc, 66.7-38.5 percent.

The game opened with a Delle Donne jumper and four consecutive UD free throws broken up by only a foul shot, but James Madison would go to sink a three and tally a layup to knot the game at six. The Dukes added a Courtney Hamner three-pointer to their run, extending it to eight.

Delle Donne, the nation’s leading scorer, then recorded a layup before Evans, the nation’s fourth leading scorer, hit her first of six threes of the evening at 15:04 to lead, 12-8. Next trip down the floor a double-teamed Delle Donne dished an assist to freshman forward Danielle Parker for a layup.

The Hens tied the game at 12 on a Carra layup at 13:06 before Williams and Carra exchanged buckets and UD went ahead, 16-14, on a Delle Donne field goal.

Carra was next to drain a three-pointer and Delle Donne added to the run with a jumper to give the Hens 10 unanswered but Evans put an end to it as she sunk five of her own.

Delle Donne and Hislop swapped buckets before Hislop put the Dukes ahead on a three-point play. Junior guard Tesia Harris was fouled and got her first points of the game on a layup and the ensuing free throw, only to be reversed by a pair of JMU buckets.

Delle Donne drove left and tied-up the contest, but Madison pulled ahead with eight straight to lead 36-28 at 1:28. Delle Donne would swish a pair from the charity stripe, the Hens’ first points in three minutes, to end the half trailing, 36-30.

The second half opened with the teams exchanging two field goals each before Delaware would bring the game back within one as Delle Donne drained five back-to-back points, including her first of a game-high seven three-pointers, enabled by a strong showing on the defensive boards.

Following a timeout on the floor, Taylor and Delle Donne alternated baskets and Evans put the Dukes ahead 44-41 at 12:40.

Delle Donne and Evans sank back-to-back treys before the electric Delle Donne hit another three-pointer and two from the foul line to give the Hens a 49-47 advantage.

JMU pieced together four straight before Carra hit the back-end of two at the foul line to again make it a one-point game. In Dukes’ territory, sophomore forward Kanita Shepherd pulled down an offensive rebound and got the put-back at 9:08, but Delle Donne brought the game to a draw, for the 10th time on the evening, with one from beyond the arc at 7:55.

Taylor tallied three for the Dukes to secure a 56-53 lead but Delle Donne continued to execute and hit a jumper and three from the foul line to rack up 25 of the Hens’ 28 points scored in the second, and give UD a two-point lead. Hislop broke up UD’s scoring with a bucket before Carra hit her second three on the night.

Delaware did not hold the lead for long. Freshman guard/forward Nikki Newman and Evans connected on a pair of three-pointers, broken up by a Harris jumper, to take a one-point JMU lead at 2:30.

Parker and Hislop traded jumpers but a Williams three gave the Dukes a solid four-point lead with just 1:20 on the game-clock. Carra brought the game within two at 1:03 and scoring was held silent until Evans was fouled and sent to the line for two with 19 seconds lingering. Two Delle Donne threes and two more Evans’ free throws sent the game to an extra stint, each team’s third CAA OT game of 2010.

JMU outscored UD, 15-10, in the extra five for the victory. Evans wasted little time to put the Dukes ahead with a three-pointer at 4:41 that Delle Donne backed with a jumper and a couple of free throws to put the Hens in front for the first and only time of overtime at 4:08. The Dukes netted seven unanswered aided by three UD turnovers, before Harris notched a three-pointer with 15 seconds on the clock to bring the game to 84-80.

Delle Donne swished her seventh from beyond the arc at the five-second mark to break up four Evans’ free throws that finalized all scoring at 88-83.

Delaware will next travel to William & Mary on Sunday, Feb. 21 at 2 p.m., its second-to-last regular-season game of 2009-10.

AGATE:

Delaware...............30.......43.......10...............83
James Madison.....36.......37.......15...............88

Delaware (16-9, 8-6 CAA)
Delle Donne 18-28 11-12 54, Parker 2-2 2-3 6, Riddick 0-1 0-0 0, Miller 0-3 0-0 0, Harris 4-10 1-1 10, Bailey 0-0 0-0 0, May 0-1 0-0 0, Carra 5-8 1-2 13, Jenkins 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 29-54 15-18 83.

James Madison (19-6, 9-5 CAA)
Evans 9-29 14-16 38, Newman 2-4 0-0 5, Taylor 6-8 3-5 15, Hamner 1-1 0-0 3, Williams 3-7 2-2 10, Hislop 5-14 1-1 11, Shepherd 2-5 0-0 4, Francisco 0-1 2-2 2. Totals: 28-69 22-26 88.

Halftime: Delaware 30, James Madison 36; End of Regulation: Delaware 73, James Madison 73; Three-Point Field Goals: DEL 10-15 (Delle Donne - 7), JMU 10-26 (Evans, 6); Rebounds: DEL - 33 (Harris, 9), JMU - 36 (Taylor, Williams - 7); Assists: DEL - 14 (Carra, 4), JMU - 14 (Evans, 5); Fouled Out: Carra; Fouls: DEL - 19, JMU - 14; Attendance: 2,550.