BOX SCORE

Baltimore, Md. – The University of Hartford women's basketball team squeezed out of Baltimore with a 49-48 victory over the Coppin State Eagles on Wednesday night at the Physical Education Complex. Hartford (3-10 overall) was led by a season-best 17 points from senior guard Mary Silvia in their final tune-up before opening conference play against Vermont on Sunday, January 2, at 1:00 p.m.

Joining Silvia in leading the team and finishing in double figures was sophomore post Nikkia Smith who finished with 11 points. The Hawks, as a team, finished the game shooting 41 percent from the field (20-of-49), but struggled from outside the arc where they made just 4-of-18 attempts for 22 percent.

The game saw a total of nine lead changes and four ties with neither team leading by more than eight points. The Eagles largest lead of the game came in the first half when they scored eight straight points for a 25-18 advantage with 3:44 remaining before the break. The Eagles took a two-point advantage into the halftime break 29-27, despite the Hawks scoring the final four points of the half.

The Hawks came out of the break to score the game at 31 with just over two minutes off the clock in the second half. a pair of guard layups from Alex Hall and Daphne Elliott led to the fourth and final tie score of the game. After allowing the Eagles to regain a lead, as much as four, the Hawks regained the lead with just over 10 minutes to play and kept that lead throughout.

Silvia then hit back-to-back three pointers followed by a layup from Hall to give the Hawks their largest lead of eight with 6:34 remaining. Coppin State's defense then held the Hawks without a bucket for five minutes as they clawed back to within one, 47-46, on a Jaleah Holsey three pointer.

Hall answered by taking advantage of a breakaway compliments of the Eagles press to score a layup and the final Hawks points of the game. Leola Spotwood then connected on a jump shot and a desperation attempt at the buzzer went long and the Hawks grasped the one-point margin for their third victory of the season.

The Hawks return to action after the New Year when they open up conference play against the Vermont Catamounts. The Hawks will travel on New Year 's Day to Burlington for a 1:00 p.m. tip on Sunday at Patrick Gymnasium.