Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

Boxscore

BOSTON -- Freshman Elena Delle Donne recorded her sixth double-double of the season to lead the University of Delaware women’s basketball team to its 100th regular season Colonial Athletic Association victory with a 61-53 win over Northeastern University at Solomon Court on Sunday afternoon. Delaware holds a 100-47 regular season record in the CAA since joining the league in 2001-02.

Despite Delaware (10-4, 2-1 CAA) holding a solid 13-point lead on three different occasions, Northeastern (6-8, 1-2 CAA) chiseled its way back to just a one-point deficit with merely 1:27 remaining in the game, but Delaware was able to sink 10 of the final 13 points to collect its second-straight league victory and its 15th consecutive over Northeastern.

The Blue Hens jumped out to a quick 12-0 lead in the first, holding the Huskies silent until the 13th minute. Five Hens contributed for Delaware’s 26 first-half points, including seven from junior guard Tesia Harris, to give the visitors a comfortable 10-point lead at the half. Delle Donne, a Naismith National Player of the Year candidate, was held to just four points in the first frame, each of which were scored from the foul line. This was only the second time that Delle Donne (at right) was held in single-digit scoring in a first half this season.

Delaware consistently held a double-digit lead throughout the second half, but a 16-5 Northeastern run from 5:53 into the final 60 seconds of play, brought the game within one. The Hens outscored the Huskies, 10-3, in the final 55 seconds to clinch its 10th victory of the season.

Five Northeastern turnovers helped the Blue Hens jump out to a commanding 12-0 lead in the opening minutes of action, while the Huskies shot 0-11 over the same seven minute period. Delle Donne collected the first points of the game with a pair of free throws before sophomore guard Kayla Miller and freshman guard Lauren Carra each connected on a three-pointer and a jumper to polish off the Hens’ run.

The Huskies broke the ice at 12:05 with a field goal by senior forward Kendra Walton. NU added six points to bring the game to 12-8 before senior guard Corinthia Benison converted on a three-point play, a layup and the ensuing free throw. Harris then drained a three from the top of the key to extend the Hens’ lead to 10.

Seven collective Delaware fouls sent the Huskies to the line to hit the front end of a one-and-one before Harris again extended the lead to double digits. Kim Carr, an NU senior forward, connected on one from the charity stripe before driving in for a layup to bring the game within eight. Delaware answered with a Benison bucket, but Northeastern came back with one of their own at 1:31.

Multiple Northeastern fouls down the stretch led to four Blue Hen points to top-off a 26-16 dominance at the half.

A Husky charge led to Harris opening the second stint with a layup, but NU answered with a three-pointer. NU’s leading scorer, sophomore guard Brittany Wilson, collected her first point of the game on a foul shot at 18:18 but Parker grabbed an offensive rebound and went up for a layup at 18:02 to again solidify a 10-point advantage.

Following over three minutes of time ticking off the clock without a score, sophomore guard Jocelyn Bailey sunk a jumper for the Hens. Carr hit one of two free throws and Harris answered when she drove right for a jumper at 13:11 to give the Hens their largest lead of the game. But the Huskies connected on two straight to again make it a nine point game at 11:54.

Next time down the court, a defensive rebound by Benison led to her collecting two on a fast break. Delle Donne tallied her first points of the second half on the next play before the teams each exchanged baskets, but it was Northeastern who then scored twice to bring the game to 40-31 at 7:56.

Delle Donne was successful in helping the Hens score six of the next nine points, connecting on a layup down low, but the Huskies came up big on the following four possessions to cut the Hens’ advantage to just three.

Freshman guard Afreyea Tolbert recorded two points before Walton drained a three. The Huskies followed with a three-point play by Wilson, who finished with team-highs of 16 points and seven rebounds, before Tolbert hit the back-end of her free throws to make it a one-possession game.

Delle Donne, who finished with game-highs of 19 points and 16 boards, connected her fifth and sixth free throws of the game at 3:48 but Tolbert brought it back within three on a layup.

A three-pointer by each team cancelled one another out, but Wilson scored in the paint following a Delaware three-second violation to make it a one-point game.

Delle Donne and Harris both went 2-for-2 from the foul line to extend the Hens lead to 55-50. Though Benison came up short at the foul line on the next possession, Delle Donne collected the rebound and put it back up to secure a seven-point cushion.

Delle Donne again visited the line and swished both with just 22 seconds lingering. Though the game was not over. Walton hit a three-pointer with nine seconds left before the Huskies fouled with hopes of regaining possession of the ball.

Bailey was sent to the line and polished off all scoring at 61-53 by sinking both.

“The kids are excited and they should be,” praised veteran head coach Tina Martin. “This was a good win for us.

“We rebounded the ball very well today, we attacked their pressure, and we went for high percentage shots down the stretch. All the kids are happy. This is a tough trip up here to Northeastern. Overall we started out well, handled their pressure well and showed great composure at the end,” concluded Martin.

UD barely outshot NU from the field, connecting on 37 percent of its shots to the Huskies’ 35.7 percent. It could be said that the Hens won the game on the free throw line where they connected 81 percent (17 of 21), compared to Northeastern’s 47.1 percent (8 of 17) shooting.

Delaware will next play host to UNC Wilmington on Thursday, Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. at the Bob Carpenter Center.

AGATE:

Delaware..........26.....35........61
Northeastern....16.....37........53

Delaware (10-4, 2-1 CAA)
Delle Donne 4-13 10-10 19, Parker 3-4 0-1 6, Bailey 1-5 2-2 4, Miller 2-5 0-0 5, Harris 4-17 4-5 13, Riddick 0-1 0-0 0, Carra 3-6 0-0 7, Benison 3-3 1-3 7; Totals: 20-54 17-21 61.

Northeastern (6-8, 1-2 CAA)
Walton 4-11 0-0 10, Carr 2-6 3-6 7, Christian 1-2 0-0 3, Wilson 6-15 3-4 16, Iervolino 0-3 0-0 0, Pecota 1-3 0-0 3, Mayberry 1-2 0-0 2, Tolbert 4-8 2-6 10, Conroy 1-5 0-1 2, Cannon 0-1 0-0 0, Kerkhof 0-0 0-0 0; Totals: 20-56 8-17 53.

Halftime: Delaware 26, NU 16; Three-Point Field Goals: DEL 4-18 (Delle Donne, Miller, Harris, Carra, 1), NU 5-22 (Walton, 2); Rebounds: DEL - 46 (Delle Donne, 16), NU - 34 (Wilson, 7); Assists: DEL - 6 (Miller, 3), NU - 7 (Conroy, 3); Fouled Out: NU - Conroy, Wilson; Fouls: DEL - 17, NU - 22; Attendance: 286.