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West Hartford, CT – Six three point baskets from junior Jackie Smith, which tied a school record, led to a game-high 18 points and a 72-54 home win over the Binghamton Bearcats on Thursday at Chase Arena. The Hawks improve to 22-3 overall and remain undefeated, 13-0, in conference play, while Binghamton drops its third-straight game and is now 9-18 overall and 5-9 in conference action.
Smith's, who was named the Nestle Purina ONE America East Player of the Game, school record six three pointers ties her with teammate Mary Silvia and former Hawk Danielle Wexler who have all hit six three pointers in a game. It is also the second time Smith has done so this season, finished 6-of-6 from long range at Stony Brook on January 30. Tonight, Smith finished 6-of-9 from the field and missed just one of her seven three point attempts.
Joining Smith in double figures was Erica Beverly with 15 points and Daphne Elliott with 11 points. Beverly finished the game shooting 6-of-7 from the field and was also 3-of-6 at the free throw line. She also led the team with a career-high seven assists, while grabbing five boards. Elliott had nine of her points come from beyond the arc (3-of-6), while shooting 4-of-9 for the game.
Hartford, who won its 15th-straight game tying a school record, finished with a 20-3 advantage on the boards, led by the team high seven from Beverly. Elliott added four assists while Silvia chipped in with three. As a team, Hartford finished the game shooting 51.8 percent (29-of-56), including a 58 percent second half (15-of-26). They also combined for a team-best 11 three pointers, beating out the previous season high of ten against Northeastern and UMBC.
Binghamton was led by Darryll Peterson and Jackie Ward who each finished with 16 points. The two combined to shoot 12-of-18 from the field as their team combined to finished the game shooting 49 percent (23-of-47). Peterson was named the Bearcats America East Player of the Game.
Hartford opened the game up to an early 9-2 lead before the Bearcats settled in and rattled off eight of the next 11 points to tie the game for 10 with 11:48 remaining before the break. After calling a timeout the Hawks regrouped to score the next seven points and retake a lead they would never relinquish.
Binghamton would get as close as four points over the next five minutes, before the Hawks defense held the Bearcats without a bucket for the final 6:29 of the half forcing them to score their only points in that stretch at the line. Hartford used that defensive momentum to scored 12 unanswered points, including three pointers from Silvia and Smith, two take a 33-19 lead into the locker room.
Coming out of the halftime break the Hawks held off spurts of scoring from Binghamton, allowing them to only get as close as nine points on two different occasions. The last of those came with 14:44 remaining when Ward hit the first three pointer of the game for Binghamton, who has missed the first six attempts.
Hartford then went on a 13-2 run to extend the lead to its largest, at the time, 20 points with Smith opening and closing that run with three pointers, the second coming as time expired on the shot clock and at least five feet behind the three point arc.
Smith's school record tying three pointer came with 5:35 remaining as she took a pass from Elliott and sank the bucket, which was followed just nine seconds later by a three pointer from Ilicia Mathis.
The Hawks will play their second-straight home game when they welcome the Boston University Terriers to West Hartford on Sunday, February 21 for the annual WBCA PinkZone game. Hartford will donate 50-percent of all ticket proceeds to The Comprehensive Breast Health Center at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center. Hartford and Boston will tip off at 2:00 p.m. in a game televised live on CTSN.
