Demeke’s Career Night Shines Bright As Women’s Basketball Storms Past UNCW, 73-35

Friday, February 23

Newark, Del.

7 PM

University of Delaware

10-15,6-7CAA

UNCW

5-19,3-10CAA

UNCW

Delaware

Photo by: Mikey Reeves

Demeke’s Career Night Shines Bright As Women’s Basketball Storms Past UNCW, 73-35

2/23/2024 10:02:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

NEWARK, Del. – With six games left in the regular season and three of them being inside Bob Carpenter Center, the University of Delaware women's basketball team welcomed UNCW to Newark Friday evening for a CAA showdown. The Blue Hens bounced back into the winning column, behind a stellar performance by Rebecca Demeke, capturing the much-needed 73-35 home victory in front of 1,217 Blue Hen faithful.

HEN HIGHLIGHTS

The Blue Hens were led by Demeke, who scored a new career high 20 points (7-of-12 FG, 6-of-8 3 FG). She also grabbed four rebounds, three assists, and had three steals.
Demeke was one of two players, along with Klarke Sconiers, who had 10 points (2-of-7 FG, 6-of-8 FT) nine rebounds, and four blocks.
Delaware finished the evening shooting 41 percent (28-of-69) from the field, 33 percent (9-of-27) from beyond the arc and 67 percent (8-of-12) from the free throw line. The Blue Hens held a +11 rebound margin (53-42), scoring seven second-chance points off of 12 offensive rebounds.
The Blue & Gold finished the night with 20 assists, nine blocks, 12 steals, 25 fast break points, 38 bench points and scored 18 points off of 21 Seahawk miscues.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter: Delaware 23, UNCW 4

Sydney Boone opened the game's scoring 57 seconds in by grabbing the defensive board and went coast-to-coast to give the Blue Hens the early 2-0 lead.
Boone's bucket ignited a 7-0 run, capped by a Tara Cousins' triple, for Delaware, forcing UNCW to call time to regroup.
After the timeout, the Blue Hens dominance continued as Boone connecting from deep kept the run going, building a 16-0 scoring run, forcing the Seahawks to call time again with 5:19 remaining.
Delaware would go on to score 21 unanswered points before UNCW's Corrie Mclaughlin's layup at the 1:55 mark broke the scoring ice for the Seahawks, 21-2.
After Sconiners' jumper pushed Delaware's lead back up to 21 points, 23-2, before Kylah Silver knocked down a pair of freebies with 42 seconds left to close out the quarter, 23-4.

Second Quarter: Delaware 42, UNCW 15

Taylor Henderson drained one from deep to give UNCW seven points before an Ande'a Cherisier laid in two, coupled with back-to-back triples by "Big Basket Bec" Demeke, built a quarter-high 28-point cushion for the Blue Hens, 35-7, with 4:35 remaining.
The Seahawks trimmed the deficit to 22 points, 37-15, before Sconiers and Boone combined for Delaware's five-points to send the 42-15 game into the break.

Third Quarter: Delaware 62, UNCW 26

Delaware kept applying pressure in the third, extending its lead to 34 points (54-20), thanks to Demeke knocking down her fifth triple of the night with 3:46 left.
Demeke was not done as she knocked down her sixth triple, tying her career-best, and then laying in two to set a new career-high with 20 points, for the Blue Hens to hold a 37 points lead, 61-24, with 1:29 showing on the third-quarter clock.
Cherisier poured in a freebie to give Delaware the brief quarter-high 38-point advantage (62-24) before Evan Miller drained a jumper for UNCW as the buzzer was sounding to for the 62-26 game to head into the final frame.

Fourth Quarter: Delaware 73, UNCW 35

The Blue Hens maintained its 30+ lead throughout the fourth quarter.
With 39 seconds left in the game, Chloe Wilson finished off Demeke's feed for the Blue Hens to win by a season-high 38-points, 73-35.

GAME NOTES

Silver paced UNCW with 16 points (8-11 FT), seven rebounds, three blocks and three assists while Miller pulled down nine rebounds.
This is head coach Sarah Jenkins' first win over longtime friend head coach Nicole Woods.
Demeke has scored 38 points over the last two days and has shot 75 percent (12-of-16) from 3-point range.
Delaware held UNCW to a season-low 35 points. This was the second time this season the Seahawks scored this low. The other time was against B1G Nebraska (35-108; Dec. 5, 2023)
This is one of two regular-season matchups between the two programs. Both squads will meet again in two weeks, Thursday, March 7, inside Trask Coliseum in Wilmington, N.C. Opening tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on FloHoops.

UP NEXT
The Blue Hens will head down I-95 ready to face CAA-foe Towson Sunday afternoon inside SECU Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. and will be broadcast live simultaneously on FloHoops and Monumental Sports Network.

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