BOX SCORE
Burlington, Vt. – Sophomore Alex Hall finished with 17 points, one shy of her season high, to lead the Hartford women's basketball team to a 62-49 victory at Patrick Gymnasium as they open league play on Sunday afternoon. The Hawks improve to 4-10 overall and 1-0 in conference play.
Hall, who was named the America East Player of the Game for the Hawks, finished shooting 7-of-11 from the field as the Hawks finished the game shooting 50 percent overall (23-of-46) a season high for the visiting team. On the opposite end, the Catamounts shot 37.2 percent (16-of-43) and surpassed their scoring average of 43.0 points-per-game.
Hall led three Hawks players in the game with double figures with Ilicia Mathis and Daphne Elliott adding 14 points each. Twelve of Mathis' 14 points came in the opening half as she led the team to their fourth halftime lead of the season 32-24. Elliott led the pair in shooting, connecting on five-of-18 attempts. The Hawks also got a season-high nine points from sophomore Ruthanne Doherty who came off the bench.
Vermont (0-13 overall, 0-1 America East) was led by senior Tonya Young who came off the bench to finish with a game-high 18 points. She finished the game shooting 6-of-12 from the field and was perfect in six free throw attempts. Young was named Vermont's America East Player of the Game. The Catamounts did struggle to find the hoop from outside the three point arc, connecting on just one-of-11 attempts.
The teams kept it close early on with both teams shooting well in the opening minutes. The Hawks scored the first basket on the game on a layup from freshman Taylor Clark who made her fifth start of the season. The Hawks would connect on 3-of-4 to open the game and take an early 7-2 lead with 16:27 remaining.
The Catamounts came back to tie the score at seven and again at nine before taking their first lead of the game 11-9 on a layup from Jasmine Cooper. Cooper would then give Vermont its largest lead in the game at 17-14 with 9:11 to play. A layup from Cooper was the last basket in a 6-0 run for the Catamounts.
Hartford answered by using a 9-0 run to regain the lead and take a six-point advantage with 5:45 to play in the half. All nine points came from different players with Doherty closing out the run with a layup. Vermont then used another 6-0 run to tie the score at 23, the fourth and final tie of the half.
The Hawks held Vermont without a bucket for the final 4:38 of the half, with the Catamounts scoring just three points on free throws for the rest of the half. The Hawks took advantage of that drought and took an eight point lead into the locker room at the break. Mathis secured that lead with a layup with one second on the clock. She finished the half with 12 points to lead the team and all players through the first 20 minutes. Mathis finished the half shooting 4-of-6 and was perfect in her two three point attempts.
The Hawks came out of the break and continued to hold the Catamounts without a basket for what would total 8:41 between the two halves. That scoring drought led to just five points, all off of free throws, for the Catamounts and allowed the Hawks to open up a 39-26 lead.
The visitors then used a 13-2 run to take their largest lead of the game of 20, 52-32 with 6:29 remaining. The only basket for Vermont during that run was a layup from Young and would amount to the only bucket for the home team over another 10 minute span.
The Catamounts chipped into the lead late in the game, but it would be too little too late. With the Hawks leading by 19 following a layup from Nikkia Smith, the Catamounts scored seven straight to pull within 12, 61-49, but those seven points would be the last for the home team, going scoreless in the final minutes.
The Hawks will return home for the first time since December 12 on Wednesday when they welcome the Maine Black Bears to West Hartford for the home conference opener at the Chase Family Arena, which will play home for the 2011 America East Championship Presented by Newman's Own in March. The Hawks and Black Bears will tip-off at 7:00 p.m.
