University of Delaware Athletics
University of Delaware
3-1,0-0CAA
Vermont
1-3,0-0America East
Women’s Basketball Outlasts Vermont, 58-53
11/18/2022 8:27:00 PM | Women's Basketball
BURLINGTON, Vt. - The University of Delaware women's basketball team hit the road to Burlington, Vt. for a Friday night non-conference showdown against Vermont (1-3) inside Patrick Gymnasium. The Blue Hens captured the 58-53 win over the Catamounts which moves them to a 3-1 record on the young season, including 2-0 on the road.
Kharis Idom and Klarke Sconiers each scored a team-high 13 points, with Idom going 5-10 from the field and 3-4 from three-point range. Jewel Smalls scored her 1,000th career point on a layup during the second quarter and pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds. Makayla Pippin and Nakiyah Mays-Prince also scored nine points apiece.
"I'm glad my kids found a way to win, especially coming in on the road" head coach Sarah Jenkins said.
Idom got the Blue Hens off to a fast start in the opening quarter, as she drained two three-pointers to power Delaware to a 14-9 lead through the first 15 minutes. After Vermont momentarily took a 9-7 lead with 4:48 left in the quarter, Delaware ended the period on a 7-0 run to take a five-point lead, their largest of the half. Idom, Sconiers, and Mays-Prince all recorded field goals during the run, and Delaware held the Catamounts to 0-3 from the field and forced three turnovers.
Vermont found its footing in the second quarter and began the period on an 8-1 run to take a 17-15 lead with 6:56 remaining. Pippin restarted the Blue Hen offense by driving to the rim and scoring on a layup. Delaware made five of their final eight shots to end the half, which included Smalls scoring her 1,000th career point during the stretch. A jumper by Tara Cousins to beat the buzzer knotted the score up at 26 at the half. Idom scored eight points on 3-5 shooting to equal a game-high in scoring through the first 30 minutes.
A tightly contested third quarter featured five more lead changes, but the Blue Hens came away with a one-point lead at 39-38 in the end. Idom continued her impressive game in the third, as she began the period with another made three-pointer while Delaware made six of their 12-shot attempts. Mia Yanogacio scored in the final minute of the quarter to send Delaware to the final period up by a point.
Vermont took a three-point lead to begin the quarter and held a 48-47 advantage with 5:29 remaining. Pippin then gave Delaware the lead for good with a layup and a made free throw, and Mays-Prince made a pair from the charity stripe to put the Blue Hens up 52-48. The Blue Hens held Vermont to just one field goal in the final four minutes and forced three turnovers while making six of their eight free throws to seal the victory.
Delaware shot 39.3 percent (22-56) from the field, 33.3 percent (3-9) from beyond the arc, and 73.3 percent (11-15) from the free throw line. Vermont connected on 41.7 percent (20-48) from the field, 28.6 percent (4-14) from three-point territory, and 69.2 percent (9-13) from the charity stripe. The Blue Hens held a plus-nine rebound margin (38-29) while scoring 15 second-chance points off of 13offensive rebounds. Delaware outplayed Vermont in steals (8-6), points in the paint (28-22) and bench points (16-5) while scoring 10 points off of 20 Catamounts misuses. For Vermont, Anna Olson scored a game-high 16 points while going 6-9 from the field.
Delaware heads to the Sunshine State to play in the Daytona Beach Invitational, starting with Fresno State on Nov. 25 and concluding on Nov. 26 against Illinois.
