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UD women's basketball wins Odwalla Classic
10:23 a.m., Nov. 27, 2006--The University of Delaware women's basketball team returns from the West Coast as the champion of the Odwalla Classic tournament played Friday and Saturday in San Francisco. The Fightin' Blue Hens opened the tournament with an impressive 86-70 victory over the No. 20 ranked University of Kentucky and captured the championship with a dominating 71-47 victory over the host University of San Francisco. “Overall, it was an outstanding weekend of basketball for us,” UD Head Coach Tina Martin said. “It was a total team concept both offensively and defensively. Winning a tournament like this gives us confidence that we can compete against very good programs. To come all the way across the country and play two games like we did, that's a good sign.” The Hens are now 4-1 and have won three straight games. They will return to action with three straight games in Philadelphia, taking on the University of Pennsylvania at 7 p.m., Wednesday, visiting Colonial Athletic Association rival Drexel University at 1 p.m., Sunday, and challenging LaSalle University at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 5. UD will return home for a game against Boston University at 1 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 10, at the Bob Carpenter Center. In the victory over Kentucky, UD senior guard Tyresa Smith, who went on to be named the tournament's most valuable player, scored a career-high 28 points and had four assists. Senior forward Chrissy Fisher, who was named to the all-tournament team, had 22 points and eight rebounds and forward Courtney Irving had 11 points and six rebounds. Kentucky, which earlier in the season had defeated CAA power Old Dominion University 68-55, took a 42-31 lead over the Hens late in the second half. However, UD closed the gap with a late run and closed to within three points at the half. The Hens overpowered Kentucky in the second half with pressure defense and hot shooting. For the game, UD shot over 61 percent. “Beating a top 25 team is a big accomplishment, and it took a total team effort," Martin said. "The defensive effort in the second half was excellent, and that was the difference in the game." In the tournament championship game, UD forced 32 turnovers and overwhelmed San Francisco. Smith scored 23 points and had eight rebounds, five assists and five steals. Guard Kyle DeHaven had 15 points and four steals and Alena Koshansky had 11 points and six steals. |
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