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WEST HARTFORD, CONN. – Sophomore Ruthanne Doherty completed her fourth double double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Hawks to a 62-52 win over the New Hampshire Wildcats (9-19, 6-10 America East) in the regular season finale. Prior to the victory, the Hawks (14-15, 11-5 AE) honored their three member senior class , Jackie Smith, Mary Silvia and Amanda Weaver, who played their final regular season home game following an exceptional four-year career.
Doherty, who was named the Nestle Purina ONE America East Player of the Game, quickly secured her ninth double figure game of the season, scoring 10 points in the first 5:52. Her 10 points accounted for all but two of the first 12 Hawks points in the game. She led two other Hawks in double figures as Silvia finished with 14 points and Ilicia Mathis chipped in 11. Doherty's 11 rebounds also led the team, as Hartford finished with a 41-34 advantage on the boards.
As a team, Hartford shot 38.3 percent overall (23-of-60), with most of their shooting struggles coming from beyond the three point arc where they finished 3-of-16 (18.8 percent). Doherty led the Hawks shooters with an 8-of-14 effort. Silvia finished the game shooting 5-of-11 overall, and was a perfect two-of-two in her three point attempts.
Denise Beliveau, who entered the game leading the Wildcats with a 13.0 points-per-game average, finished with 14 points to lead her team. Beliveau also got off to an impressive start with 13 of her points coming in the first half. As with Doherty, Beliveau quickly found herself over the double figure mark, scoring her 11th point on a three pointer with 12:30 remaining in the first half. Beliveau was named the Wildcats America East Player of the Game.
Overall, the Wildcats finished the game shooting 36.0 percent (18-of-50), while proving their three point shooting skills with a 10-of-23 effort from beyond the 19-foot-9-inch line for 43.5 percent. Belliveau also completed a double double, setting that standard in the first half, finishing with a game-high 16 rebounds. No other New Hampshire player would grab more than two rebounds in the game.
The Wildcats scored the first points of the game just 18 seconds after the opening tip as Cari Reed connected on her first of two three pointers. The Wildcats would hold that lead until Doherty scored her fourth point of the game on a jump shot with just under three minutes played.
The Hawks would see that first lead grow to as much as three when Doherty scored two more, but that lead was quickly erased as Beliveau hit her first three pointer of the game to tie the score at eight. New Hampshire would then take their largest lead of the game at 17-12 with 12:57 remaining in the half on Beliveau's second and final three pointer of the game.
Hartford would then score seven of the next nine points to tie the game at 19, before taking a one-point lead on a free throw from Mathis with 10:11 to play before the break. That lead change would prove to be the last of the game as the Hawks would keep their lead for the next 30 minutes.
The Hawks largest lead in the first 20 minutes came at the conclusion of a 12-0 run that ended on a three pointer from Silvia with 6:40 remaining in the half. That three pointer gave the Hawks a 25-19 advantage. New Hampshire chipped into that lead ever so slightly, taking a six point deficit into the locker room, despite a last second three point attempt that was off the mark.
Hartford came out of the break to score the first four points of the stanza, extending its lead into double figures for the first time with just 1:16 off the clock in the half. Doherty provided all four points and the Haws first double digit lead.
New Hampshire wasn't going to make it easy for Hartford as they scored 10 of the next 12 points to pull the lead within a bucket at 37-35 with 14:31 remaining in regulation. Hartford answered by scoring the next four, including the final bucket on a backdoor layup from freshman Taylor Clark off a pass from senior teammate Smith.
Following a free throw from Beliveau, that was the only points for New Hampshire over a nine minute span and Beliveau only point in the second half, the Hawks took their largest lead of the game at 12 off a three pointer from Mathis.
Hartford would keep its lead right around the double figure plateau until late in the game when Kelsey Hogan hit back-to-back three pointers off the dribble to cut the Hawks lead to five with 35 seconds remaining in the game. Hartford would come down the other end and after a missed second free throw, freshman Milana Gilbert would grab the rebound and score on a put back to seal the deal for Hartford.
The Hawks will now turn their attention to the 2011 America East Championship as they prepare for a quarterfinals match-up against the fifth seeded Albany Great Danes on Friday at 8:15 p.m. The Hawks win today tied them for third place overall in the America East; however the Binghamton Bearcats secured the third seed for the championship based on tiebreakers.
