West Hartford, CT ? The University of Hartford women's basketball team snapped a two-game losing skid and picked up its first conference win of the season with a 67-58 victory over Vermont at Chase Arena on Sunday night. The Hawks were led by Diana Delva who finished with a season high 19 points. Hartford is now 11-4 overall and 1-1 in America East play.
Delva was named the Nestle Purina ONE America East Player of the game after finishing the game 8-of-10 from the field. Joining her in double figures was Erica Beverly with 16 points and 12 rebounds, her second double double of the season. Beverly also shot well, finishing 5-of-7 from the field while going 6-of-8 at the free throw line.
The Hawks finished the game shooting 47 percent from the field (25-of-56). Mary Silvia also shot well for Hartford, going 3-of-4 from the field, setting a career high with eight points. Hartford held the Catamounts to 38 percent for the game, 25-of-67, with Courtnay Pilypaitis, Vermont's America East Player of the Game, leading the team with 17 points.
The Catatmounts won the battle of the boards with a 42-38 advantage in that category. Beverly's 12 boards led all players, while Alissa Sheftic led Vermont with eight. Beverly also added three blocks, a season best for her, while the Hawks picked up five overall.
The Hawks wasted no time building their lead into double digits, extending their lead to 11 with 10:26 remaining in the first half on a three pointer from Silvia. Silvia's three was part of a 7-1 run for Hartford, who ended that streak with a 13 point advantage.
The Catamounts snapped that run with back-to-back jumper, one of which was a three pointer for Pilypaitis. The Hawks answered back with nine unanswered points, including a second three pointer for Silvia with two minutes left before the break.
Vermont would end the half with the final two baskets before the break including an Amy Rosenkrantz layup with six seconds on the clock. The Hawks advantage in the first half was partly possible because of 10 Vermont turnovers, which led to 13 Hawks points.
The Hawks extended their lead to 19 three different times in the second half, the final with 14:13 to play on a Delva jumper. The Catamounts began to chip into the lead with a 9-2 run, which put them within 10, 51-41, with 7:57 to play.
Hartford answered that run with back-to-back Delva baskets, before Vermont scored six unanswered to pull within six with 5:31 to play. That run features back-to-back Sofia Iwobi jumpers. Hartford would re-extend its lead back to double digits on a Devla layup with 1:13 to play, but Vermont wasn't going to rest pulling back within six with 30 seconds remaining.
The Hawks will return to action with a pair of America East road games at New Hampshire on Wednesday night at 7:00 p.n. and at Maine on Saturday at 7:00 p.m.
