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UD women’s basketball team defeats UNC Wilmington

Tiara Malcom scored 26 points to lead the Fightin’ Blue Hens.

3:21 p.m., Feb. 23, 2004--The University of Delaware women’s basketball team picked up an important Colonial Athletic Association victory, defeating the University of North Carolina Wilmington 66-59 on Sunday at the Bob Carpenter Sports/Convocation Center.

With the victory, the Fightin’ Blue Hens improved to 15-9 overall and 7-8 in the CAA with three conference games remaining.

UD will host Drexel University at 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 26, play at Towson University at 1 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 29, then close the regular season at home against George Mason University at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 4.

The CAA tournament will be played March 10-13 at Old Dominion University’s Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk, Va.

In Sunday’s game, UD forward Tiara Malcom scored 26 points and led a game-deciding rally in which the Hens overcame a seven-point deficit.

UD, which won for the second time in its last three games, trailed 50-43 with 5:29 left to play before Malcom keyed a 15-1 run that put the Hens in front.

Malcom, who also had nine rebounds and five assists, reached double figures in scoring for the 13th straight game and surpassed the 20-point mark for the sixth time this season. She hit on seven of 13 shots from the field and was 12 of 14 from the foul line, connecting on eight free throws in the final minutes of the game.

Alena Koshansky added 13 points and two big three-point baskets, Tyresa Smith had 11 points and five steals and Tiffany Young had nine rebounds.

"This was an unbelievable win and a gutsy performance by our kids," said UD Head Coach Tina Martin, who used just seven players as starting guards Julie Sailer (foot) and Liz Hayes (concussion) both sat out with injuries. "It has to be our best win of the year considering we are playing without two of our main players. I think our players showed great character today and kept battling through the game. I'm very proud of their effort."

"It was a big win for us," Malcom said. "We knew we had to come in and have a total team performance. I know we didn't play many people but everyone who played came in the game and did their best."

UNC Wilmington lost its fourth straight game and fell to 12-12 overall and 7-8 in the CAA. The Seahawks got 17 points from CAA pre-season player of the year Cherie Lea. Guard Jennifer Kapper had 11 points and four assists and Tanika Harrison had 10 points.

UNC Wilmington took a 29-26 lead at halftime and stayed in front deep into the second half, going up 41-33 with 13:43 left to play. The Seahawks still led by seven points when Kapper hit a running lay-up with 5:29 left to go up 50-43.

But the Hens took off from there, outscoring the Seahawks 15-1 over the next 3:45 seconds to turn the seven-point deficit into a seven-point lead at 58-51.

Smith opened the run with two baskets, Malcom followed with six straight free throws, Koshansky nailed a three-pointer and Malcom capped the run with a lay-up.

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