BOX SCORE
West Hartford, CT – Despite holding the Vermont Catamounts to 18 percent shooting in the second half, the University of Hartford women's basketball team couldn't rebound from an 18-point halftime deficit dropping a 55-50 decision in the championship game of the America East Conference.
The Hawks will hold out until Monday night's selection special to learn whether their 27-4 (16-0 America East) overall record has earned an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament. Despite Monday's announcement the Hawks have guaranteed their sixth-straight postseason appearance. By virtue of winning their fourth regular season conference title the Hawks are assured a bid in the postseason WNIT.
Vermont's (26-6 overall, 13-3 America East) victory snapped a school record 20-game win streak for the Hawks dating back to a December 19 loss to Marist in Poughkeepsie, NY. It was also the first loss in a championship game for Hartford when playing on their home court, previously 4-0 in the title game at The Chase Family Arena.
Hartford was led by senior forward/center Diana Delva who finished with 19 points and was named to the All-Championship team. She finished the game shooting 6-of-10 from the field and was a perfect 6-of-6 at the free throw line. The Stamford, CT native also finished the game with six blocks, tying a Division I school record and setting a new America East Championship game record. Hartford finished the game shooting 38.3 percent (18-of-47) from the field and finished the game 11-of-13 at the free throw line (84.6 percent). As a team, the Hawks finished with 11 blocks, which tied the school record for blocks in a game.
The Hawks came out of the gates sluggish allowing the Catamounts to shoot 45.2 percent in the first half and build up a double digit lead within the first 12 minutes. After allowing Vermont to score the first two baskets of the game, Hartford answered with a 7-0 run, capped off by a Daphne Elliott three pointer to take a 7-4 lead. They matched that lead 1:30 later when Ruthanne Doherty connected with junior captain Jackie Smith for a jumper with 14:43 remaining.
Vermont responded by with an 11-0 run, extended to a 21-1 run, building its lead to 27-10 with 6:04 remaining before the break. Hartford's only points in that run came on the first of two free throw attempts from Smith with 8:41 remaining in the half. In a span of almost 11 minutes the Hawks were 0-9 from the field and turned the ball over four times.
Vermont's May Kotsopoulos closed out the half with a three pointer as time expired, giving the Catamounts a 35-17 edge going into the locker room. Leading the way for all scorers at the break was Courtnay Pilypaitis with 10 points, while Doherty led the Hawks with six points.
Coming out of the intermission, the Hawks put up the first three points, before a Pilypaitis three pointer put the home team's deficit back to 18. After an Alyssa Sheftic layup with 16:23 remaining in the game matched that game best lead, the Hawks clamped down on defense and used an 11-2 run to pull within single digits with 12:01 to play in the game. It was the first time in more than 16 minutes the Hawks had been within a single digit margin.
Vermont extended its lead back to 14, on a layup from Pilypaitis, one of just five total field goals in the second half for the Catamounts. The Hawks then used a 15-4 run to pull the game within three points with 2:15 to play. The run began with a Smith three pointer and was closed out with a layup from senior Jenna Peterson off a feed from Delva.
The Catamounts responded with a three pointer from Pilypaitis with 1:55 to play, a shot that would prove to be the game winner. Hartford held the Catamounts to just one points for the remainder of the game but couldn't connect on three points from Smith and Hall within the final minute.
