Saint Joseph's Women's Basketball Tops Delaware, 50-45, For Fifth-Straight Win

by Saint Joseph's Athletics, Saint Joseph's

Published Dec. 22, 2010, 9:36 p.m. ET

NEWARK, DE - The Saint Joseph's women's basketball team won its fifth straight game as the Hawks held on for a 50-45 win over Delaware Wednesday evening at the Bob Carpenter Center. Leading by as many as 16 points, SJU saw the Blue Hens make it a one-possession game in the final minute, only to go 4-of-4 from the foul line to secure the victory.

Up 28-24 five minutes into the second half, the Hawks put together a 15-3 run over the next five minutes as a three-pointer by freshman guard Erin Shields put SJU up 43-27 with 9:55 to go.

After cutting their deficit to 11, 46-35, the Blue Hens’ kept SJU’s offense off the scoreboard as Delaware scored eight-straight points. A layup by Jocelyn Bailey with 41 seconds left made it a 46-43 game, as Saint Joseph’s went 0-of-5 from the field and turned the ball over three times during that stretch.

Shields extended her team’s lead to 48-43 on a pair of free throws, but a Jaquetta May layup with 20 seconds to go, made it a three-point game.

Saint Joseph’s junior guard Katie Kuester extended the Hawks’ lead to 50-45, nailing a pair of free throws, and grabbed a late defensive rebound off a missed Delaware three-pointer to preserve the win.

In the first half, Saint Joseph’s controlled the pace of the game, never allowing Delaware to take a lead. The Hawks, which knocked down four three pointers in the first stanza, opened their biggest lead of the half as a layup by Kuester put SJU up 24-16 with 37 seconds left in the half.

Delaware, playing without leading scorer Elena Delle Donne due to fatigue, knocked down a pair of free throws to make it a 24-18 contest heading into the second half.

For the game, the Hawks finished 17-of-45 from the floor (37 percent), 6-of-15 from three-point range (40 percent) and hit 10-of-10 from the foul line. Delaware, which out rebounded SJU 38-33, shot 19-of-58 from the field (32.8 percent), 0-of-9 from behind the arc and 7-of-13 from the foul line (53.8 percent).

Individually, Shields scored a career-best 15 points, while Kuester was the only other Hawk in double figures, scoring 13 points. The pair combined for all six of SJU’s three pointers. Junior Samira Van Grinsven added a team-high eight rebounds to go with two points, while classmates Michelle Baker and Kelly Cavallo each had eight points. Freshman Ilze Gotfrida chipped in with two points and three rebounds, while sophomore Ashley Prim had two points, three assists and four rebounds.

May led Delaware with 14 points.

Saint Joseph’s returns to action December 28-29 as it hosts the 20th Annual Hawk Classic. Saint Joseph’s plays New Hampshire in the opening game of the tournament at 2 p.m., followed by Quinnipiac against Lafayette at approximately 4:30 p.m.