West Hartford, Conn. - Diana Delva led three Hartford scorers in double figures with 17 points to lead the #2 Hawks to a 68-53 victory over the #7 Stony Brook women's basketball team in the third quarterfinal of the 2009 America East Women's Basketball Championships. Sophomore Kirsten Jeter (Elmont, N.Y.) had a game-high 20 points for Stony Brook as it ends its season 6-23. Hartford (20-10) advances to play the winner of New Hampshire/Vermont tomorrow afternoon.
"I was proud of our team's effort," head coach Michele Cherry said. "We just had trouble making shots and getting stops at key times. You have to give credit to Hartford. There's a reason they're the defending champs."
Although Stony Brook missed its first six shots, it trailed just 13-10 with 12:41 left in the first half after a three from sophomore Misha Horsey (Wyncote, Pa.). But Hartford's 9-1 run, capped by a pull-up jumper from Jackie Smith, gave the Hawks' their first double-digit lead, 22-11. After the Seawolves closed to within nine, 25-16, MaryLynne Schaefer's three with just four seconds left on the shot clock stretched Hartford's lead back up to 12.
Sophomore Crystal Rushin's (Valley Stream, N.Y.) first three of the season and third career triple got the Seawolves within seven, 30-23. After Delva, who had 11 points in the first half, hit a pair of free throws with 1:08 left in the half, freshman Destiny Jacobs (Glen Burnie, Md.) block ignited a fast break. Horsey fed a slashing junior Joia Daniels (Silver Spring, Md.), whose floater in the lane got Stony Brook within 32-26. Horsey, Jeter and sophomore Jodie Plikus (Waterford, Conn.) each had five first-half points for the Seawolves. Beverly added seven points for Hartford, which started the game 9-of-16 from the floor but went just 1-of-13 the rest of the half.
On Stony Brook's first possession of the second half, Plikus, who averaged 19 points in two games vs. Hartford this season, hit a jumper to get the Seawolves within four. Jacobs' fifth point of the night got the Seawolves as close as two, 34-32, but seven straight from Hartford including five from Ilicia Mathis stretched lead back to nine. Jeter's layup with 11:00 left made it 49-40, the closest the Seawolves would get.
Amanda Weaver banked in a three to give Hartford its biggest lead of the game to that point, 56-41 with 8:29 left. Stony Brook got within 13, three times the rest of the way.
Horsey finished with nine points and Plikus had seven for Stony Brook. Beverly and Kelley each had 14 points to pace Hartford. Beverly
