University of Delaware Athletics
Friday, November 24
Estero, Fla.
5 PM
University of Delaware
vs
FGCU
Photo by: Gavin Bethell
Women's Basketball Opens Road Slate At Esteemed Gulf Coast Showcase
11/22/2023 5:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
ESTERO, Fla. – Embracing the spirit of true road warriors, Delaware will gear up for an exciting journey that will span over the next two weeks in the early stages of the season. First on the adventurous itinerary, the Blue Hens will pack their bags and set their sights southward for an exhilarating three-game stretch in the picturesque city of Estero, Fla. from Nov. 24-26. The squad will face Florida Gulf Coast to open things up at the highly esteemed 2023 Clean Simple Eats Gulf Coast Showcase inside Hertz Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. and the entire tournament will be broadcast on FloHoops.
The eight-team tournament field features six squads that competed in postseason play a year ago, including the NCAA national runners-up Iowa. Delaware along with Florida Gulf Coast, Kansas State, North Carolina, Purdue Fort Wayne, Vermont and Western Kentucky round out the field.
The winner of Delaware/FGCU will play the winner of Purdue Fort Wayne/Iowa on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. while the losers of both matchups will play one another on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
HOW TO FOLLOW: Watch | Listen | Live Stats | Tickets | Delaware Game Notes | FGCU Game Notes
ABOUT THE HENS
ESTERO, Fla. – After Purdue Fort Wayne fell to No. 5 Iowa 98-59 in the tournament's nightcap, Delaware will now face the Mastodons Saturday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. inside Hertz Arena as part of the consolation bracket.
Delaware will look to advance to the fifth place side of the bracket in hopes of playing against the winner of the Western Kentucky/Vermont 11 a.m. matchup.
HOW TO FOLLOW: Watch | Listen | Live Stats | Tickets | Delaware Game Notes | Purdue Fort Wayne Game Notes
ABOUT THE HENS
ESTERO, Fla. – Delaware will face Vermont tomorrow at 11 a.m. inside Hertz Arena for seventh place as part of the consolation bracket and the game will be broadcast on FloHoops.
HOW TO FOLLOW: Watch | Listen | Live Stats | Tickets | Delaware Game Notes | Vermont Game Notes
ABOUT THE HENS
SERIES HISTORY
The eight-team tournament field features six squads that competed in postseason play a year ago, including the NCAA national runners-up Iowa. Delaware along with Florida Gulf Coast, Kansas State, North Carolina, Purdue Fort Wayne, Vermont and Western Kentucky round out the field.
The winner of Delaware/FGCU will play the winner of Purdue Fort Wayne/Iowa on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. while the losers of both matchups will play one another on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
HOW TO FOLLOW: Watch | Listen | Live Stats | Tickets | Delaware Game Notes | FGCU Game Notes
ABOUT THE HENS
- In their previous outing on Tuesday, Nov. 14, the Blue Hens found themselves trailing by 12 points at halftime. Despite rallying to level the game in the third quarter, they couldn't quite seal the deal, ultimately succumbing to a gut-wrenching 78-77 loss against Lehigh.
- This defeat marked the end of a commanding nine-game winning streak for the Blue Hens over the Mountain Hawks.
- Klarke Sconiers led the charge for the Blue Hens, setting a new career high with an impressive 33 points on a night of exceptional shooting (11-of-17 FG, 11-of-12 FT). She also secured 10 rebounds, marking her second career double-double.
- Chloe Wilson followed suit, notching 18 points for the second consecutive game, while Darrionna Howard dominated the boards with a career-best 16 rebounds, 12 of which were on the defensive end.
- As of Tuesday, Nov. 21, Howard holds the impressive second position nationally for defensive rebounds per game, averaging a remarkable 10.5, and secures an outstanding 14.0 rebounds per game, which ranks third in the country. She leads the CAA in both statistical categories.
- As a united force across the nation, the Blue Hens soar high, securing the third spot in rebounds per game (54.50), a formidable fourth in defensive rebounds per game (36.0), and a solid tenth in offensive rebounds per game (18.5). Remarkably, Delaware dominates the conference, reigning supreme in all three pivotal statistical categories.
- FGCU enters Friday's matchup 3-1 and currently sporting a two-game winning streak after capturing the 59-48 home win over Kentucky on Sunday, Nov. 19.
- FGCU has defeated Kentucky in back-to-back seasons and remained a perfect 3-0 in the all-time series dating back to 2017. The win also marked the 24th Power Five win in program history.
- The FGCU starting five scored all 59 points Sunday. Four Eagles reached double figures in the win. Dolly Cairns produced a team-leading 16 points, Maddie Antenucci cashed in 13, Persson added a season-high 12 and Ezeudu produced 10.
- On Monday, Cairns earned Atlantic Sun Conference Newcomer of the Week honors.
- As of Tuesday, Nov. 21, the Eagles hold a prestigious third place in the CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top 25. Just two weeks prior, they soared even higher, claiming an impressive second place in the rankings, marking their peak achievement so far.
- This marks the inaugural encounter between Delaware and FGCU in their program histories. It also heralds the debut face-off between Coach Jenkins and Coach Smesko.
ESTERO, Fla. – After Purdue Fort Wayne fell to No. 5 Iowa 98-59 in the tournament's nightcap, Delaware will now face the Mastodons Saturday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. inside Hertz Arena as part of the consolation bracket.
Delaware will look to advance to the fifth place side of the bracket in hopes of playing against the winner of the Western Kentucky/Vermont 11 a.m. matchup.
HOW TO FOLLOW: Watch | Listen | Live Stats | Tickets | Delaware Game Notes | Purdue Fort Wayne Game Notes
ABOUT THE HENS
- The squad opened the highly esteemed 2023 Clean Simple Eats Gulf Coast Showcase inside Hertz Arena Friday evening against Florida Gulf Coast. The Blue Hens found themselves on the losing end, dropping an 83-68 final to the Eagles.
- Against FGCU, Delaware was led by Tara Cousins with a career-high 22 points, shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc.
- Joining Cousins with double-digit scoring were the trio of 11-point scorers Sydney Boone, Mia Yanogacio (career-high) and Chloe Wilson. Ande'a Cherisier paced the Blue Hen rebounding with a career-best eight boards.
- The last time the Blue Hens shot 50 percent from three-point territory was back on Jan. 15, 2023 (12-for-22) against conference foe North Carolina A&T.
- Delaware once again tied a program record of 12 made three-pointers (last set at North Carolina A&T, Jan. 15, 2023).
- The Blue Hens shot 55.1 percent (27-for-49) from the field as a unit, the last time being on Jan. 26, 2022 on the road against UNCW (.508; 35-for-66).
- Purdue Fort Wayne enters Saturday's matchup 2-2 after falling to the Hawkeyes in the opening round of the tournament.
- The team was paced by Amellia Bromenschenkel's 16 points and Erin Woodson's 12 points.
- Earlier this week, Shayla Sellers was selected as the Horizon League Player of the Week on November 20 after leading the Mastodons to a 70-64 overtime win at Southern Illinois. She scored 20 points, shot 60 percent from the floor and was 7-of-8 from the free throw line. Sellers added five rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals in the win.
- This marks the inaugural encounter between Delaware and Purdue Fort Wayne in their program histories. It also heralds the debut face-off between Coach Jenkins and Coach Marchesano.
ESTERO, Fla. – Delaware will face Vermont tomorrow at 11 a.m. inside Hertz Arena for seventh place as part of the consolation bracket and the game will be broadcast on FloHoops.
HOW TO FOLLOW: Watch | Listen | Live Stats | Tickets | Delaware Game Notes | Vermont Game Notes
ABOUT THE HENS
- On Saturday, the Blue Hens faced Purdue Fort Wayne and fell 88-74 and now will face Vermont, who lost to Western Kentucky earlier in the day.
- Against Purdue Fort Wayne, Delaware was led by a quartet of double-digit scorers.
- Klarke Sconiers led the way with 17 points (7-10 FG, 3-5 FT) to go along with four rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
- Tara Cousins followed with 16 points (7-16 FG).
- Ande'a Cherisier tied her career-best 13 points (6-9 FG) to go with three rebounds in 12 minutes off the bench.
- Chloe Wilson chipped in 11 points (9-10 FT).
- Wilson and Sydney Boone (five assists) both paced the Blue Hen rebounding with six and five rebounds, respectively.
- As they head into Sunday's game, Vermont holds a 3-3 record, having recently faced a tough 62-50 loss against the Hilltoppers in the consolation bracket semifinals.
- Emma Utterback showcased her prowess with a notable 14-point performance, complemented by Delaney Richason's contribution of 11 points.
- The team's tournament journey commenced against No. 18 North Carolina, where despite leading for a significant part of the game, they narrowly succumbed 54-51 to the Tar Heels.
- Utterback notably led the charge for the Catamounts, delivering an impressive 18-point performance in the competitive match.
SERIES HISTORY
- The upcoming match between the Blue Hens and the Catamounts marks the 30th historic encounter in their program history. It's a significant moment as Coach Sarah Jenkins and Coach Kresge, at the helm of their respective teams, will cross paths for only the second time.
- Coach Jenkins currently holds the edge with a 1-0 record, adding an extra layer of anticipation to this meeting.
- In their previous encounter last season, Delaware clashed with Vermont, securing a hard-fought 59-53 victory on the road in Burlington, Vt.
- Klarke Sconiers emerged as a standout, delivering an impressive 13-point performance while also blocking two shots.
- The win was a collective effort with contributions from Tara Cousins, who added four points, Nakiyah Mays-Prince, showcasing nine points, three rebounds, and a steal, along with Michelle Ojo's pivotal five rebounds.
- Mia Yanogacio played a crucial role in the victory, chipping in two points during her 10 minutes on the court.
- The most recent neutral-site encounter between Delaware and Vermont dates back to the 2000-01 season when the Blue Hens claimed a hard-fought 69-64 victory during the America East Tournament Finals.
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