Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

Boxscore

HARRISONBURG, Va. - The No. 5 seeded University of Delaware women’s basketball team’s run came to an end in the semifinals as No. 1 seed Old Dominion University topped the Blue Hens, 50-49, in the semifinals of the 2010 Virginia 529 College Savings Plan Colonial Athletic Association Tournament hosted by James Madison University at the JMU Convocation Center on Saturday afternoon.

Delaware (21-11 overall) has now fallen four times in the CAA postseason to 17-time CAA champion, Old Dominion (18-12 overall).

The first frame bounced back-and-forth for the initial 12 minutes of play and was twice tied, but a commanding 21-5 run over the latter 10 minutes of play helped the Blue Hens to a solid halftime cushion. Freshman sensation Elena Delle Donne, who doubles as the CAA Player and Rookie of the Year, drained 14 points and junior guard Tesia Harris added eight for UD in its first half efforts. A steady 46.4 shooting percentage from the floor also aided Delaware to a 33-21 advantage, as the Lady Monarchs connected on just 26.5 percent.

Delle Donne (at right), who hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to end the half, went on to score 16 additional in the second frame as the 6-5 rookie scored each and every one of Delaware’s points. Delle Donne went 9-for-23 from the floor while the rest of the team compiled an 8-for-29 tally throughout the game.

Despite only one Hen scoring in the second, Delaware was able to keep its lead for the majority of the half. But it was a balanced effort of 45.8 percent shooting that helped the Lady Monarchs to outscore UD, 29-16, and win the berth to the championship game. Delaware connected on a shameful 16.7 percent over the final 20. UD led until sophomore center Mairi Buchan hit one of her four vital second-frame shots to lift ODU past Delaware, 46-45, at 1:34. Delle Donne was able to pull the Hens back in front, but Buchan struck again.

Buchan helped ODU to a 48-47 advantage at 1:11 before Delle Donne again hit two from the line to pull Delaware back ahead. It was an offensive rebound by sophomore center Tia Lewis that led to a put-back and the ODU win. Delle Donne was unable to make her final shot drop as she shot an off-balanced jumper while heavily defended in the paint with four seconds lingering on the clock.

Delle Donne led all scorers with 30 points, while adding a team-high eight rebounds. Harris scored eight points and had seven boards for UD, but ODU put three in double-digits for the win. Lewis recorded a double-double of 10 points and 11 boards, while senior forward Jessica Canady tallied 11 points and Buchan 10. ODU also outrebounded Delaware, 40-36, and made eight steals to the Hens’ five.

The game tipped off as the crowd exchanged chants of Let’s Go Hens and Let’s Go Monarchs before ODU opened all scoring with a Lewis basket. Delle Donne answered and drained four to take a 4-2 UD lead. ODU then went on to score seven consecutive on a baseline three and a pair of jumpers to lead 9-4 at 15:25.

Delaware answered with a 6-0 run as sophomore center Jasmine Gibson used Jaquetta May and Kayla Miller feeds to tally a pair from down low and Delle Donne pulled up for a jumper at the left elbow to help UD to a 10-9 edge.

The Lady Monarchs outscored the Hens 7-2 over the next two minutes until Delaware hit two free throws to kick off an 8-0 run. Strong Blue Hen rebounding helped UD drain back-to-back three-pointers that pulled the Hens ahead 20-16 mid-way through the first. Lewis tallied another two points for the Lady Monarchs, but that was the only ODU points to break up a 14-2 Delaware streak.

Harris drove left at 6:14 before hitting freshman forward Danielle Parker for a layup a minute later. Another minute ticked off the clock before Delle Donne tallied a pair of points to help instate the largest lead of the game, 26-18, at 3:59.

Miller looked to extend it to a double-digit margin as she drove right, but was called for a charge as the layup fell.

The Lady Monarchs tallied three points on a free throw and a Shadasia Green jumper, but UD closed out the half with seven unanswered. Harris recorded a jumper from the foul line at 1:05 and Miller helped May to a steal on the ensuing ODU drive. May notched the layup on the fast break with 35 seconds lingering in the half.

Delle Donne then hit the last of the opening stint as she drained a buzzer-beating three pointer after grabbing a defensive board and driving the length of the floor for the score. Delaware led, 33-21, at intermission.

Following intermission a scoreless three and a half minutes ticked away while the teams recorded a combined 0-9 shooting effort, before ODU junior guard Jasmine Parker made a steal near half court and brought the deficit to 10 on the fast break. The Lady Monarchs went on to bring the game within seven on an opening 6-1 run, but Delle Donne used a Harris assist to hit a baseline jumper and take a 36-27 lead at 11:40.

ODU went on to bring the game within five as Parker hit two from the charity stripe and Buchan pulled up for a jumper at 10:47.

Delaware called a timeout at 10:29 to help the Hens regroup. Delle Donne got a bucket on the following play, though ODU would outscore UD 4-1 over the next two minutes to bring the game to 39-35.

The Hens kept ahead as Miller twice assisted Delle Donne who drained two shots and two free throws that were broken up only by Canady getting a layup on a Buchan pass. Trailing 45-37, freshman guard Jackie Cook would bring the Lady Monarchs back within three, the closest it had been since the seven-minute mark of the first half, on a jumper and a big three at 4:15.

Delle Donne tried for a field goal as the shot clock ran low and junior forward Eva Riddick pulled down an imperative offensive board to keep the UD possession. Delle Donne was fouled at 3:15 as the shot-clock was reset to 30. Despite keeping possession and eating up the clock, Delaware was unable to convert.

ODU outscored UD, 8-4, over the final four minutes to secure the victory. Green and Buchan each got two points to put the Lady Monarchs in the lead, but Delle Donne responded with two at the foul line to regain the UD advantage. Buchan notched another before Delle Donne mirrored the previous play. Delle Donne, who missed a season-high three free throws during the game, collected another two from the charity stripe to give the Hens their final lead of the semifinal contest with 45 seconds left.

Buchan misfired at the 25 second mark, but Lewis was in position to grab the offensive board and go back up for the layup and finalize all scoring at 50-49. Delle Donne’s desperation shot with four seconds on the clock fell short of the UD upset.

“It was a great game,” said veteran head coach Tina Martin. “That’s the way it’s been all year with our team. I’ve got kids with a lot of heart and they’re learning how to play in big-time games. I’m very proud of my team and I’d like to congratulate Old Dominion. They are a class program.

“Wendy [Larry, ODU head coach] does a terrific job. Seventeen straight championships speaks for itself. We knew today was going to be a battle. We wanted to be here one more day, and unfortunately we just came up short. But we will be back -- and we will be challenging for a CAA championship in years to come.”

Old Dominion will face the winner of No. 2 James Madison and No. 3 VCU on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. in the championship game.

AGATE:

Delaware..................33.....16..........49
Old Dominion..........21.....29..........50

Delaware (21-11)
Parker 1-4 1-2 3, Riddick 0-0 0-0 0, Miller 0-3 0-0 0, Delle Donne 9-23 10-13 30, Harris 3-13 1-2 8, Bailey 0-1 0-0 0, May 2-3 0-0 4, Carra 0-2 0-0 0, Gibson 2-3 0-0 4. Totals: 17-52 12-17 49.

Old Dominion (18-12)
Canady 4-7 2-2 11, Green 2-12 2-2 6, Lewis 5-7 0-0 10, Parker 1-9 2-2 4, Byrd 0-3 0-0 0, Buchan 5-9 0-0 10, Voronina 0-1 1-2 1, Cloutier 0-1 0-0 0, Cook 3-6 1-1 8, Guilford 0-3 0-0 0, Collier 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 20-58 8-9 50.

Halftime: Delaware 33, Old Dominion 21; Three-Point Field Goals: DEL 3-17 (Delle Donne - 2), ODU 2-15 (Canady/Cook, 1); Rebounds: DEL - 36 (Delle Donne, 8), ODU - 40 (Lewis, 11); Assists: DEL - 10 (Miller, 5), ODU - 12 (Green, 4); Fouled Out: None; Fouls: DEL - 12, ODU - 15; Attendance: 2,852.