Fourth Quarter Run Sends Delaware Past UNCW, 71-55
Rob Washburn
Championship Central |
Bracket |
Tickets |
Highlights |
Sights & Sounds Video
Press Conference – Delaware |
Press Conference – UNCW |
Photo Gallery
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 13, 2025) – Seventh-seeded Delaware broke open a close game with a 13-0 run to start the fourth quarter and picked up a 71-55 victory over No. 10 UNCW in the second round of the Credit Union 1 CAA Women’s Basketball Championship on Thursday evening at CareFirst Arena.
The Blue Hens (13-16) advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2022 where they will face No. 2 Charleston at 6 p.m. on Friday. The Seahawks ended the season with a 14-18 record.
Senior forward Michelle Ojo came off the bench to score a career-high 18 points on 7-of-8 FG shooting and added seven rebounds to lead Delaware. The Blue Hens also got 11 points from Ande’a Cherisier and 10 points apiece from Chloe Wilson and Tara Cousins.
UNCW was paced by first-team All-CAA forward Ali Zelaya, who recorded a double-double with team-highs of 11 points and 10 rebounds. Taylor Henderson tallied 10 points and Jania Hall chipped in nine points off the bench.
Delaware clung to a 49-47 lead entering the fourth quarter, but got seven points from Ojo and four from Cousins during its 13-0 run over the first 4:32 of the period to go up 62-47. The Seahawks turned the ball over five times during the defining stretch. Delaware maintained at least a 13-point advantage the rest of the way.
Neither team led by more than three in a back-and-forth opening quarter. A three from the wing by Ella Wanzler put Delaware up by three in the final minute, but UNCW’s Hall drained a 25-footer at the buzzer to even the contest at 13-13.
The contest remained tight throughout the second quarter. UNCW was up 21-19 with under four minutes to play when the Blue Hens got three consecutive buckets from Ojo to take a four-point edge. Delaware went into halftime leading 27-23.
The Seahawks opened the second half with seven unanswered points and went up 30-27 on a Henderson layup. The Blue Hens responded with a run of their own behind five points by Ojo to regain a three-point advantage. The margin stayed within four for the rest of the quarter with Delaware ahead 49-47 heading into the final frame.
Delaware shot 46.7% from the floor in the game, while limiting UNCW to 34.5% shooting.