Women’s basketball defeated Delaware 78-66 in the opening game of the season at the Smith Center on Monday night.
The teams battled back and forth through the first quarter and change before the Revolutionaries went on a 12-1 run to finish the first half. Their lead stayed in the double digits from the halfway point of the second quarter on, reaching a high of 20 points.
Graduate guard Makayla Andrews led the team in scoring with 24 points, shooting 8-16 from the floor and 8-9 from the line. She averaged 13.2 points per game last season at Lafayette, where she received All-Patriot League Second-Team Honors.
The Revs production was led by new talent, with just 21 of the team’s 78 points scored by players from last year’s roster. The team is attempting to replace the program’s third-highest career rebounder, Mayowa Taiwo, who attended Monday night’s game with other program alumni.
This year’s team includes nine newcomers, including five transfer students and four freshmen. Head Coach Caroline McCombs said her group will continue to grow after tonight’s performance.
“We’re continuing to grow and connect, and you can see it in the way that we’re playing right now,” McCombs said.
Both teams struggled early, missing a combined six field goals in a row to start the game. The first basket, a 3-point jumper by freshman guard Gabby Reynolds, came with 7:43 left in the first quarter. Delaware’s Tara Cousins, a D.C. native, answered with a three of her own, and the Blue Hens jumped out to a 10-8 lead at the first media timeout.
After sophomore guard Kamari Sims missed both free throws, Andrews grabbed the board and converted an and-1 to put the Revolutionaries back up 11-10. The team outrebounded Delaware by 15, 46-31.
Delaware employed a full-court press with 1:39 to go in the quarter but could not fluster the Revs, who retained a 21-20 lead at the end of the first quarter as the Election Day eve crowd continued to get rowdier throughout the game.
Delaware’s Ande’a Cherisier opened the second frame with an and-1 to recapture the lead at 22-21. After finding themselves down 29-27, the Revs went on an extended 12-1 run over the last six minutes of the half to take a 39-30, capped by a Reynolds jumper with five seconds to go.
Reynolds kept the scoring going into the second half, scoring 4 points in a row to open up a 48-35 lead with 5:56 to go in the third quarter. She finished the night with 18 points, shooting 6-7 from the field.
McCombs praised Reynolds’ play in her first game in the Smith Center, which was supported by the veteran players.
“She doesn’t shy away from growth and getting better,” McCombs said.
The Revs’ lead would balloon even further to 18 points, up 60-42, going into the fourth quarter.
After missing her first two 3-pointers in the first half, senior forward Maxine Engel knocked down two threes in a row, forcing a Delaware timeout at 76-54.
Delaware closed the game on a 12-2 run over the last 4:08, tightening the final score to 78-66. The Blue Hens’ press was able to force 20 turnovers.
“We just have to be more precise about our passes,” Andrews said.
The Revolutionaries will take on Howard for their next game at Burr Gymnasium on Friday.
