West Hartford, CT – The University of Hartford women's basketball team extended its win streak to 16 games, the longest in school history, with a 61-38 victory over the Boston University Terriers on Sunday in front of 2,553 fans at Chase Arena at the Reich Family Pavilion.

Hartford (23-3, 14-0 America East) secured the top seed in the upcoming America East Championship and home court advantage throughout. The Hawks also guaranteed at least a share of the regular season America East Championship, the fourth regular season title in school history, and all four coming in the last five years.

The Hawks were led by senior Diana Delva who finished with her team-best eighth double double with 17 points and 13 rebounds. The second leading shooter in the nation, Delva, finished the game 3-of-7 from the field but was 11-of-16 at the line. Six of her 13 rebounds came on the offensive glass, as the Hawks finished with a 12-5 advantage in second-chance points. Delva's 17 points on the night was also enough to move her into fourth all-time in the scoring column, passing former teammate and current Director of Basketball Operations Ikea Witt.

Three other players finished with double digit scoring, with Ilicia Mathis tying her season high, set against Louisville, with 14 points. Jackie Smith added her second-straight game in double figures with 12 points while Erica Beverly rounded out the leading scorers with 11 points.

As a team, the Hawks finished the game shooting 34.7 percent from the field (17-of-49), but shined from the line, shooting 81.5 percent (22-of-27). Three players finished perfect at the line, led by Mathis who finished 6-of-6, while Delva finished with an 11-of-16 effort at the free throw line.

Hartford did struggle to keep its hands on the ball, turning the rock over 22 times, but finished with a 14-9 advantage in points-off-turnovers as the Hawks forced Boston University (14-12, 10-4 America East) into 15 turnovers. The Hawks defense held the Terriers to just 28.1 percent from the field (16-of-57), and held the leading scorer, Chantelle Alford, to six points on 3-of-13 shooting. Alford averaged 15.8 points-per-game coming into today's game and is shooting 41.3 percent on the season (136-of-329).

Hartford came out of the gate and took an early double digit lead, 12-2 with 13:42 to play. The Hawks held the Terriers to one basket in their first seven attempts. Hartford's largest lead in the first half came just about half way through when Mathis hit her first, of two, three pointer of the game.

The Terriers, who never lead in the game and only managed one tie in the first three minutes, could only get as close as seven over the final 12 minutes of the first half, that coming after a 7-0 run that pulled them to an 18-11 deficit with 6:08 to play.

Hartford's stingy defense then allowed just two more points from the Terriers before the break, allowing the Hawks to take a 23-13 advantage into the break. Smith led the Hawks through the first 20 minutes with eight points on 3-of-6 from the field.

In the second half, the Terriers kept the score in a single digit Hawks advantage first the first two minutes before Hartford began to pull away, using four-straight points to pull ahead by 13 with 15:37 remaining. Delva and Beverly combined for the first 13 points of the half before Mathis got into the mix scoring the next four, while 11 of the Hawks first 17 points of the second half came at the free throw line.

After the Terriers Alex Young knocked down a jumper with 10:37 remaining, Hartford built its lead to 20 using a 12-2 run. That run was capped off by the Hawks first three pointer in the second half, this time from Mary Silvia, with 6:11 remaining.

Boston University could never muster a run following that Hawks lead, trading baskets with the Hawks for the remainder of the game. The Hawks largest lead of the game came on a layup from Mathis within the final minute.

Hartford returns to action on Wednesday when they take to the road for the final time in the regular season, playing at SEFCU Arena on the campus of the University at Albany. The Hawks and Great Danes are set to battle at 7:00 p.m.