West Hartford, CT ? The University of Hartford women's basketball team picked up its fifth-straight home opener with a 24-point win over the Columbia Lions at Chase Arena at the Reich Family Pavilion. Hartford was led by Danielle Hood , who completed her second-straight game with more than 20 points, finishing with 26. Hartford is 2-1 overall, while the Lions are now 0-3.
Hood, the Nestle Purina ONE America East Player of the Game, finished with a 7-of-16 effort from the field, while Hartford finished with a 31-percent effort overall. As a team Hartford hit 17 of its 55 shots. Hood also finished 12-of-13 at the free throw line, where the Hawks finished 19-of-28 as a team. MaryLynne Schaefer and Erica Beverly combined to lead the team in rebounding, both finishing with eight boards. Hartford won the battled of the boards with a 52-36 margin.
Schaefer and Courtney Gomez finished second on the team in scoring, each adding seven points. In total, nine players finished with at least a point, including Amanda Weaver who scored her first collegiate bucket in the second half. Combined, the two teams finished with 39 turnovers, Hartford had 19.
After scoring the first basket of the game, three seconds in, Hartford struggled to find their niche until the 13th minute. The Lions saw their final lead with 6:42 to play, before Hood tied the score for the third and final time. Within the first 13 minutes, the Lions held three different leads, none by more than two points. Columbia scored its final points in the first half with 8:24 to play on a Michele Gage jumper. In the final eight minutes, the Lions missed all eight of their shots and two free throws, while turning the ball over four times.
The Lions scoreless streak continued through the first 2:14 of the second half, with Hartford opening a 14 points lead before a Brittney Carfora three pointer broke the streak. Columbia cut the Hawks lead to eight, twice in the next 3:30 before Hartford went on a 13-2 run to open up a 19-point lead with 9:48 to play.
Hartford's biggest lead of the game came with 2:59 to play on a pair of free throws from Schaefer. Hartford would be held without a basket for the final 3:36. Columbia was led by Brittney Carfora, who finished with nine points all on three pointers. The Lions shot just 23 percent from the field, 12-of-52.
Hartford will next play at BYU on Tuesday, November 20 at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The game is a rematch of a Hartford win at Chase Arena last year, the win was the first against a ranked opponent at home.
