UMBC

WEST HARTFORD, Conn.—The UMBC women’s basketball team (9-13, 3-6 AE) fell to league-leading Hartford (19-3, 10-0 AE) by a score of 85-45 Tuesday evening at the Hawks’ Chase Arena.

Hartford led from the start and used a 19-5 run midway through the first half to break the game open. The Hawks led, 48-19, at halftime.

The hosts carried the momentum into the second stanza, scoring the first 10 points of the period before a layup by freshman forward Kim Browning (Mechanicsville, Va./Hanover) put the Retrievers on the board at the 14:13 mark.

Hartford took a game-high 47-point lead, 78-31, with 5:38 left, but a 3-pointer by senior guard Carlee Cassidy (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill) sparked a 12-1 UMBC run that cut the margin to 36 points with 2:56 to go.

Cassidy drained three triples and finished with a team-high 13 points to earn UMBC’s America East Player of the Game honors. Sophomore center Topé Obajolu (Randallstown, Md./Archbishop Spalding) was the only other Retriever in double figures with 10 points.

Hartford center Diana Delva led four Hawks in double digits with 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting, while guard Daphne Elliott tallied 15 points on five 3-pointers.

The Hawks outrebounded the Retrievers, 45-21, and scored 19 points off 12 offensive rebounds. Hartford shot 53.2 percent in the game while holding UMBC to 35.4 percent from the floor.

The Retrievers return to action on Saturday, Feb. 6, when they host America East rival Maine.