Durham, NH – The University of Hartford women's basketball team used its defense to pull ahead big in the second half and never looked back at New Hampshire, tallying a 72-45 conference victory on Saturday afternoon. The Hawks were led by a pair of seniors Erica Beverly with 17 points and Jenna Peterson with 11 points. Hartford improves to 12-3 overall and 3-0 in the America East.

Beverly, the America East Player of the Game, finished the game with one missed basket in seven attempts, while going 5-of-7 at the line for her season-high 17 points. Her classmate, Peterson, finished the game without a missed basket in her four attempts, with two from long range for her career-high 11 points. As a team, the Hawks finished the game shooting 53 percent (25-of-47), while holding the Wildcats to 30 percent from the field (13-of-44).

Coming out of the break, Hartford hit its first 30 point lead of the game with 14:22 to play in the game following two-straight baskets from Peterson and Daphne Elliott. The Wildcats intensity changed following that Hawks lead, using a 13-3 run to pull within 20 with just over 10 minutes remaining.

Hartford's defense then snapped back by holding the wildcats without a basket for nearly three minutes, while using a 10-0 run to retake a 30-point advantage with 8:03 to play. UNH answered with back-to-back three pointers, two of what amounted to be eight for the Wildcats as a team.

The Hawks final 30-point lead came in the final minutes following back-to-back jumpers from Alex Hall and Mary Silvia to go ahead 70-40. The Wildcats would score five of the final seven points of the game but would come up with their third-straight loss in conference play this season.

Hartford's defense proved to much for New Hampshire in the first half, holding them to just 11 points on three baskets. The Wildcats shot just 16.7 percent from the field (3-of-18) and were held without a point for more than a 10 minute span from 13:05 to 1:48 in the first half. Hartford finished the half shooting 46.2 percent (12-of-26), led by Beverly who finished with 11 points.

Hartford came out of the gates and scored the first point on a jumper from Beverly, 20 second off the tip. The Wildcats answered by scoring their first bucket before the first minute had been played, but Hartford regained a lead and never relinquished.

Following four points from Denise Beliveau, broken up only by a Beverly free throw, the Hawks used a 17-0 to put the game out of reach in the early going. The Hawks run spanned 11:13 of the half and allowed them to pull ahead by more than 20, 32-8 with 2:03 remaining before the break.

Hartford will close out a three-game road stand with a weekend match-up against the Binghamton Bearcats in the first of two Hartford games the America East conference will televise as part of their television package. Hartford and Binghamton will square off on NESN at 12:00 p.m. from Vestal, NY.