Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

FAIRFAX, VA – The University of Delaware women’s basketball team kicked off its Colonial Athletic Association schedule by snapping its school-record 11-game losing streak with a 64-49 victory over George Mason at the Patriot Center on Sunday afternoon.

Corinthia Benison (at right) and Ariene Jenkins led the Hens as they both netted career-highs, scoring 17 and 15 points, respectively.

Not only did the win end the team’s losing streak, but it also extended the Blue Hens’ dominance over the Patriots and in conference openers. Delaware has now won eight straight contests against George Mason and seven straight to start CAA play.

With the win, the Hens improve to 2-11 on the season, while the Patriots fall to 6-5 and see their five-game home winning streak snapped. George Mason entered the game with a perfect 5-0 record at home for the first time in program history.

Clutch shooting from the free throw line proved to be the key to Delaware’s victory. Leading by five at 46-41 with five minutes left in the game, the Blue Hens made their way to the charity stripe 14 times and converted 12 of those shots after that point.

Benison led the way, draining 11 of her 14 free throws, including seven in the waning moments of the game. As a team, the Hens found their way to the line 37 times, making 30 of those shots.

The Blue Hens started the game as well as they ended it, scoring the first 10 points of the contest, including the first four by Jenkins, who grew up in nearby Woodbridge, VA. After Mason’s Rashauna Hobbs answered Delaware’s fast start by draining back-to-back three-pointers, the Hens went on a 10-2 run led by four straight points by Courtney Irving.

As they seemingly would all day, the Patriots fought back, eventually cutting the deficit to six with 4:30 left in the first half. The Hens would not surrender the lead, though, as Benison and Jenkins took the Hens to the locker room in style, scoring seven of the last 12 points of the half to put Delaware up 28-18.

It was only the second time all season that the Hens entered halftime with a lead. It also marked the fewest first-half points allowed by Delaware since holding Northeastern to just 14 last season.

Following the intermission, Delaware looked to have the game in-hand as they scored the first four points of the half to extend their lead to 14. George Mason refused to go away, however, as the Patriots stormed back with a 17-5 run to pull within two at 37-35.

With the game in doubt, senior co-captain Kyle DeHaven stepped up, scoring her first two points of the half on free throws before a layup by Jenkins and free throw by Tesia Harris extended the Hens’ lead to seven at 42-35.

The Patriots eventually whittled Delaware’s lead back down to three again on a layup by Whitney Ward, but following a Blue Hen timeout, Courtney Irving quickly sank a jumper before Benison took over at the free throw line to ice the game.

Delaware never trailed during the contest and held a commanding 46-30 advantage in rebounding. Irving led the Hens with eight boards and added 13 points, while Jenkins and DeHaven chipped in with seven rebounds apiece. Kyle, the team’s most consistent defensive stalwart, also had a team-high four steals.

George Mason was led by Rashauna Hobbs, who finished the game with 12 points, six steals, and four rebounds. Lateisha Wade also had seven points and a game-high four assists.

Delaware returns to action on Thursday at 7 p.m. when the Hens host the Drexel Dragons at the Bob Carpenter Center.

Boxscore