West Hartford, CT ? The University of Hartford women's basketball team picked up its 18th straight home game with a 63-58 decision over the visiting Albany Great Danes at Chase Arena on Saturday. Hartford was led by the Nestle Purina ONE Player of the Game Danielle Hood who finished with 20 points. The Hawks improve to 15-4 overall and 5-1 in conference play.
Hood led all scorers in the game, while going 6-of-10 from the field and 7-of-7 at the free throw line. She also added a three pointer to her tally, the second of her career. Joining her in double figures was Erica Beverly and MaryLynne Schaefer who each added 10. Beverly and Hood finished just shy of double doubles, finishing with nine and eight rebounds respectively.
Diana Delva led the Hawks in rebounding with 12 boards, her first double digit rebound game since December 12. She also added nine rebounds just shy of a double double. The Hawks finished with 45-34 advantage and held the Great Danes (4-14, 2-3 AE) to 37 percent (22-of-59) shooting, including a 29 percent (8-of-28) effort in the first half.
Hartford also added 14 assists and a season best six blocks as a team. Delva and Hood led the Hawks in that category, each adding two. The Hawks finished the game shooting 40 percent from the field (24-of-59), led by Beverly, Delva and Schaefer who all finished 4-of-7 from the field. Two of Schaefer's baskets were three pointers. Mary Silvia also faired well for Hartford adding a career high five rebounds to go along with four points and an assist.
The Hawks opened the game with a three pointers from Lisa Etienne after the Great Daneswere unsuccessful on their first trip. A Tanika Thrower three pointer with 16:34 to play in the first half provided a 7-7. Thrower led the Great Danes for the game with 17 points and was named Albany's America East Player of the Game.
Following Thrower's early three, the Hawks used a 10-2 run to open up an eight point lead with 10:14 remaining in the first stanza. The Great Danes would cut it down to three with just under seven minutes remaining, scoring five straight, including another Thrower three.
Hartford would extend its lead into double digits for the first time in the game with 36 seconds to play on a Hood layup. A free throw from Kim Clements with 25 seconds to play was the final points of the first half.
The Hawks came out of the break to re-extend the lead back to double digits with Hood's three pointer, off a feed from Schaefer. Britney McGee answered back with a three pointer for Albany, but Schaefer would come right back down the floor and hit her first three of the day.
Hartford kept the lead in double digits until the just over six minutes remained when Sherri Mikus hit a layup. Hartford's biggest lead of the game was 14, coming with 8:22 remaining on a Hood layup. Albany would only get as close as six points in the second half, that coming on back-to-back Mikus baskets with 5:36 remaining.
Hartford will next play at Stony Brook on Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m.
