Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

NEWARK, DE -- Although their shots weren't falling and the turnovers were mounting, the University of Delaware dug in and used some pressure defense and domination on the boards to pull out a 42-37 upset win over second place Virginia Commonwealth in Colonial Athletic Association women's basketball action Thursday night at the Bob Carpenter Center.

Delaware (6-16, 5-5 CAA), which won its second straight game, scored the final seven points of the contest and held the Rams without a point over the final eight minutes to down VCU (17-4, 7-3 CAA) for the fifth straight time. VCU, which entered the game tied for second in the CAA standings, lost for just the third time in their last 13 games since mid-December.

No Blue Hen player hit for double figures in scoring, but it was a balanced effort as Kyle DeHaven and Vanessa Kabongo each scored seven points and Sha'Ron Harrison, Corinthia Benison, and Farrah Ferguson (at right) each added six points.

Harrison, Ariene Jenkins, and Benison each pulled seven rebounds as the Hens held a commanding 47-36 advantage on the boards.

“The two things that saved us tonight were ball pressure and rebounding,” said Delaware head coach Tina Martin, whose squad shot just 25.5 percent from the field (14 of 55) for the game and turned the ball over 24 times. “We pressured the ball, we kept people in front of us, and everybody rebounded. Against a team with a front line as big as VCU, our kids really battled. They didn’t back down at all. They just wanted the basketball. I’m proud of their effort tonight.”

Junior center Quanitra Hollingsworth led VCU with 12 points and a game-high 17 rebounds for her 11th double-double of the season while D’Andra Moss added eight points and La’Tavia Rorie dished out eight assists. Krystal Vaughn, who entered the game as the Rams’ leading scorer with 14.9 points per game, including seven games with 20 or more points, was held to just two points on two free throws and 0 for 4 shooting from the field.

VCU, which entered the game ranked No. 3 in the CAA in scoring (67.2 points per game) and No. 4 in field goal percentage (.422), was held 30 points below its average, shot just 27.1 percent from the field (13 of 48), and committed 26 turnovers.

The Rams, who connected on just 5 of 27 second half shots from the field and misfired on their final 12 attempts, did not score a point after a Hollingsworth jumper with 8:18 left gave VCU a 37-35 lead.

Delaware came back to take their first lead since early in the second stanza as Benison hit a jumper with 2:25 left to tie the game at 37-37 and Ethlynne Thomas put the Hens up for good at 39-37 with two free throws at the 1:04 mark. DeHaven added a free throw and Jenkins sank two from the foul line the rest of the way to keep the Hens in front.

Delaware’s 42 points were the lowest amount scored in a victory in school history, breaking the mark of 48 set several times, and the Blue Hens won a game without having a player reach double figures in scoring for the first time since the program began in 1971-72.

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