The University of Delaware women’s basketball team had an outstanding 2004-05 season, winning the Colonial Athletic Association regular season championship and twice defeating archrival Old Dominion University before falling to the powerhouse Monarchs 78-74 in overtime in the conference tournament title game.

UD Head Coach Tina Martin’s Fightin’ Blue Hens, who finished the season with a record of 25-6, earned a berth in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament, where they fell 48-42 to St. John’s University of the Big East Conference in a game played at the Bob Carpenter Sports/Convocation Center.

The Hens had a strong team, led by CAA Player of the Year Tiara Malcom and fellow seniors Tiffany Young and Julie Sailer. It featured outstanding sophomore guards in Tyresa Smith, Alena Koshansky and Liz Hayes, a promising freshman in Melissa Czorniewy and a steady forward in junior Amanda Blackstone.

Plus, there was strong leadership in Martin, who shared CAA Coach of the Year honors with Denise Dillon of Drexel University and who now has guided the Hens to five 20-win campaigns in the last six seasons.

UD served notice that it was for real by winning the Christmas City Classic, hosted by Lehigh University, and in the process, defeating the University of Alabama of the powerful Southeastern Conference. Malcom was named the tournament’s most valuable player, scoring 21 points against Alabama and another 14 against Lehigh in the championship game, which the Hens won 65-51.

UD won the tournament in the early stages of what would become a landmark 17-game winning streak, the cornerstone of which was a 73-70 victory over the normally unassailable Old Dominion at home in the Ted Constant Center in Norfolk, Va. Smith scored a career-high 22 points and had eight steals as the Hens stopped Old Dominion’s 122-game home winning streak against CAA opponents. “It was an incredible game and a great achievement for our team,” Martin says of that memorable victory. “Our team showed a lot of character. It took a monumental effort and is certainly one of the biggest wins we’ve ever had.”

The Hens rolled through January and into February without a loss, and on Feb. 11 took on Old Dominion at The Bob before the largest crowd in UD women’s basketball history as 4,772 fans filled the arena. UD jumped out to an 11-point halftime lead and held on for the victory, 62-58. The front line carried the team, with Malcom scoring 18 points and Young 15.

The winning streak came to an end two days later with a surprising 68-65 loss to Virginia Commonwealth University. A week after that, the Hens fell to Towson University but then won the last three conference regular season games heading into the tournament.

UD opened CAA tournament play on March 10, getting a measure of revenge with a 71-56 victory over Virginia Commonwealth. The Hens next met a stubborn opponent in James Madison University, winning 62-57 after overcoming a late deficit by holding the Dukes scoreless over the last 5:46 of the game.

The victory set up the Hens’ third meeting of the year with Old Dominion and its star senior guard, Shareese Grant. UD had held Grant in check in the first two meetings, limiting her to 10 points in Norfolk and a mere three in Newark. Unfortunately, Grant exploded in the championship game, almost single-handedly keeping the Monarchs alive as UD broke out to a seven-point lead by halftime. She ended the game with 35 points and made a game-clinching steal and lay-up as Old Dominion defeated the Hens in overtime for its 14th consecutive conference tournament title and the accompanying automatic berth in the NCAA Division I tournament.

“I thought we played a great game,” Martin says. “Obviously, when you lose in overtime to the 13-time defending champion, it’s a great game. We had our opportunities. My players played their hearts out and we just came up short. It’s very disappointing.”

In addition to the honors awarded Malcom and Martin, Young was named third-team All-CAA, Smith was named to the CAA All-Defensive Team, and Sailer and Koshansky were named to the CAA All-Academic Team.

“This was a very great season,” Martin says. “We played very well as a team. The kids did a great job.”

The UD men’s team, under Head Coach David Henderson, had a difficult and injury-marred season. The Hens finished 11-20 and were knocked out of the CAA championship tournament in the semifinals, falling 74-61 to Virginia Commonwealth University. Bright spots for the Hens were junior forward Harding Nana, who became the first UD player ever named first team All-CAA, and senior point guard Mike Slattery, who was named to the third team.

In addition to the regular season championship won by the women’s basketball team, UD also had stellar showings by the field hockey team, which won the CAA championship and competed in the NCAA Division I tournament; the volleyball team, which reached the conference title game; and the men’s lacrosse team, which won the conference regular season title and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.

—Neil Thomas, AS ’76