Photos Courtesy of Mark Campbell

Boxscore

NEWARK, Del. - Freshman Elena Delle Donne recorded her seventh double-double of the season and junior Tesia came up just one rebound short of one to help lead the University of Delaware women’s basketball team edge by UNC Wilmington in Colonial Athletic Association action at the Bob Carpenter Center on Thursday night.

Delaware (11-4, 3-1 CAA) got off to a commanding start and led by as many as 14 with just 52 seconds left in the first frame of action, but UNC Wilmington (6-9, 1-3 CAA) made a prominent 10-2 run to start the second half and battled with the Blue Hens until the final seconds of the game. The Seahawks dwindled the Hens’ lead down to tie the game on three occasions in the latter half, but the Hens were able to stay a step ahead and defeat the visiting squad down the stretch.

Delle Donne’s (at right) double-double featured 29 points and 10 rebounds, while Harris (at left), for the second straight game, came within one rebound of double-digit points and boards herself. Harris, a junior guard, tallied 17 points and nine rebounds on the evening, while adding one block. A freshman forward/guard, Delle Donne added a game-high three blocks and an assist to her nightly accolades.

Despite dropping its fourth of its last five games, UNC Wilmington was not without talent. Led by senior guard Casey Sawhook, eight Seahawks contributed to the score. Sawhook, who sank a team-high four three-pointers, was helped by junior guard/forward Brittany Blackwell who pulled down 10 rebounds and put up eight points and three assists for UNCW.

UNC Wilmington notched the game’s first points to take its only lead of the game, before four Delaware starters contributed baskets to tally a 9-2 run and give the Hens a five point advantage at 15:19.

The Seahawks netted a pair of free throws before Delle Donne swatted two blocks allowing sophomore guard Jocelyn Bailey a defensive rebound. Delle Donne collected her first of five three-pointers in the game before UNC Wilmington answered with five straight points. Harris then recorded four of her own to give the Blue and Gold a 16-11 advantage.

Delle Donne swished a jumper from the left elbow at 7:23 but the Seahawks responded to hit one from beyond the arc, the only basket to break up 10 straight Delle Donne points. Sophomore guard Kayla Miller then drew a charge in UNCW territory that led to Delle Donne’s second three of the evening at 5:31.

The next points of the half came when freshman guard Lauren Carra found Delle Donne down low for a left-handed layup before Delle Donne, a Naismith National Player of the Year and a Wooden Award Midseason Top 20 candidate, made a steal and connected on her third three-pointer of the night to give the Hens a 26-14 cushion at 3:15.

UNC Wilmington snapped Delaware’s 8-0 run with a jumper by senior guard Whitney Simmons at 2:44. Delle Donne next found Bailey down low to connect on a layup, mirroring the Carra/Delle Donne play that awarded the Hens a duo of points just two minutes prior.

Delle Donne banked the next basket in with just 52 seconds left but a UNCW three-pointer, its third of the half, would close out the first stint as the Hens held a strong 30-19 advantage.

The visiting squad made-up crucial ground directly following intermission as the Seahawks drilled 10 points, broken up only by a jumper by freshman forward Danielle Parker.

Keeping the game close, as much of the second half was, the teams exchanged a pair of baskets each before Harris restored the lead to five with a layup at 14:52, but UNCW connected from downtown to bring the game within two moments later.

Harris drove the baseline to collect a layup at 13:30 and again make it a two-possession game, but a UNCW layup by senior guard Greta Luksyte again made it a two-point contest.

A Harris three-pointer and three points from junior forward Eva Riddick were broken up by a layup from sophomore guard Kristen Hanzer.

Six unanswered UNCW points tied the game for the second time on the night, but Delle Donne wasted no time in putting the Hens back in front. The 6-5 Wilmington, Del. native hit a jumper in the paint and a three from the top of the key to extend the Hens’ lead to five, but a Seahawk three-pointer by sophomore guard Julia Finlay brought the game back to 51-49 at 6:33.

UNCW knotted the game at 51 before Delle Donne again came up big to make the hometown crowd come alive. Delle Donne capitalized on a Miller assist to hit her fifth and final three-pointer of the game. She then returned to the defensive end to make a block and get fouled as she pulled the ball into her possession, sending her to the line to score two more.

Carra made a steal on the Seahawks’ next trip down the floor and was fouled on the breakaway sending her to the line. Carra hit the back-end of her free throws to give the Hens a 57-51 lead with four minutes remaining.

Luksyte hit one-of-two at the charity stripe before Delle Donne collected another two at the foul line for UD. Sawhook tallied UNCW’s eighth from beyond the arc before going to the line to bring the game to 59-57 at 2:25.

Delaware came up short at the foul line on the following play which led to a Seahawks’ timeout and a reverse layup to tie the game at 59 with 58 seconds lingering on the game clock.

Back on offense, Harris and Delle Donne both had baskets bounce around the rim, but Harris got the put-back to go ahead 61-59. The Seahawks misfired on the next possession due to a strong Delaware defensive pressure which allowed Harris to come up with the rebound. Immediately fouled, Harris was sent to the line where she hit both and finalized all scoring at 63-59.

“I’m happy we got the win,” said veteran head coach Tina Martin. “We didn’t move the ball as well as we could have, we weren’t as sharp as we need to be, but overall we’re happy with the win.”

Thirteen turnovers by each team riddled the game, though Delaware committed just nine fouls to the Seahawks’ 18. Each squad shot better than 40 percent from the floor, Delaware 44.4 and UNCW 41.8, while tallying 36.8 and 36.4 percent three-point shooting, respectively, during the action.

Delaware will next play host to Drexel on Sunday, Jan. 17 at 2 p.m. at the Bob Carpenter Center.

AGATE:

Delaware.....................30.....33........63
UNC Wilmington.........19.....40........59

Delaware (11-4, 3-1 CAA): Delle Donne, Elena 10-15 4-4 29; Harris, Tesia 7-16 2-2 17; Bailey, Jocelyn 3-7 0-0 6; Carra, Lauren 1-3 1-2 3; Miller, Kayla 1-4 0-0 3; Riddick, Eva 1-2 1-2 3; Parker, Danielle 1-5 0-0 2; Benison, Corinthia 0-2 0-4 0; Jenkins, Ariene 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 24-54 8-14 63.

UNC Wilmington (6-9, 1-3 CAA): Sawhook, Casey 4-6 2-2 14; Luksyte, Greta 4-8 1-2 9; Finlay, Julia 2-6 0-0 6; Johnson, Treasure 2-3 0-0 6; Blackwell, Brittany 3-13 0-0 6; Hanzer, Kristen 3-6 0-0 6; White, Martha 2-5 2-2 6; Simmons, Whitney 2-4 0-0 4; Reitz, Kelsy 1-4 0-0 2; Walker, Candace 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 23-55 5-6 59.

Halftime: Delaware 30, UNCW 19; Three-Point Field Goals: DEL 7-19 (Delle Donne, 5), UNCW 8-22 (Sawhook, 4); Rebounds: DEL - 36 (Delle Donne, 10), UNCW - 30 (Blackwell, 10); Assists: DEL - 10 (Miller, 6), UNCW - 14 (Blackwell/Hanzer, 3); Fouled Out: None; Fouls: DEL - 9, UNCW - 18; Attendance: 2,364.