Blue Hens Defeat Villanova, Secure WNIT Charlotte Region Championship

Monday, March 22

Charlotte, N.C.

7 p.m.

University of Delaware

24-4,16-2CAA

Villanova

17-7,9-5Big East

Villanova

Delaware

Blue Hens Defeat Villanova, Secure WNIT Charlotte Region Championship

3/22/2021 10:16:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Delaware beats Villanova, 77-70, behind 22-point performances from Tyi Skinner and Jasmine Dickey

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Delaware women's basketball defeated Villanova, 77-70, Monday night inside Bojangles Coliseum to secure the Charlotte Region championship and advance to the 2021 Postseason WNIT semifinals.

Two nights after earning the top spot on ESPN's Sportscenter Top 10 plays with two half-court buzzer beaters in the second round win over Clemson, freshman guard Tyi Skinner matched her career high from that game with 22 points to lead the Blue Hens (24-4, 16-2 Colonial Athletic Association). Making her first career start, Skinner also dished a game-high four assists, grabbed two rebounds and blocked a shot.

Junior guard Jasmine Dickey also scored 22 points in addition to grabbing seven boards and three steals.

Redshirt junior forward Ty Battle had a massive game down low, recording her 19th double-double of the season with 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the floor and a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line to go with 14 rebounds and two steals. Battle's 19 double-doubles are the second most in a single season in program history, behind only Nicole Enabosi's 23 from the 2017-18 season.

We added some hardware to the trophy case tonight 🏆😏 #BlueHens pic.twitter.com/h2pGvAMIC7
— Delaware Women's Basketball (@DelawareWBB) March 23, 2021

The Wildcats (17-7, 9-5 Big East) had a balanced scoring attack with five players in double figures, led by Brianna Herlihy and Madison Siegrist who each had 15. Delaware has now defeated two ACC and two Big East teams in the same season for the first time in program history.

The Charlotte Region Final was a back-and-forth affair with 14 lead changes and four ties.

Villanova took a 55-53 lead at the 8:01 mark of the fourth quarter through a Brooke Mullin three-pointer. On the next possession, Skinner came off screens from Battle and senior forward Lizzie Oleary and drained a long two-point jumper to tie the game at 55-55. After a Wildcats turnover, Skinner found a cutting Oleary down low for a lay-in that gave the Blue Hens the lead back for good.

After trailing 31-30 at halftime, Delaware outscored Villanova 47-39 in the second half, including 25-20 in the fourth quarter, to pull away.

QUOTING HEAD COACH NATASHA ADAIR
"Overall, phenomenal team effort. To come in without our starting point guard, Paris McBride, who's been our leader all year, and for our freshman Tyi 'Showtime' Skinner to step up and play how she did and to lead us is phenomenal. I have so many emotions right now, but this is who we are. We play together, we compete together, we fight together."

"We played Delaware basketball from the tip to the final buzzer, and it was a group effort. Ty Battle stepped up, Lizzie Oleary stepped up, Jasmine Dickey is consistent as always, but there's so many complementary players. Tee Johnson stepped up, Chyna, the birthday girl, hit a big shot."

"I am just so proud of our group and how they represent not only what we do, they represent Delaware basketball, and just our whole university and our community. Go Blue Hens."

UP NEXT
The Blue Hens will face Rice in the WNIT semifinals on Friday, March 26 in Memphis, Tenn. at 5 p.m. ET/4 p.m. CT. Every game of the tournament is streamed on FloHoops.