University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Hartford
Women's Basketball Falls At Hartford, 68-45
December 06, 2006 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 6, 2006
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. -- Hartford (7-3) used a 23-5 second-half run to pull away for a 68-45 win over Massachusetts (7-2) Wednesday night at the Chase Arena. The Minutewomen trailed by just five points before going ice cold from the field. Senior Tamara Tatham (Brampton, Ontario) led the Minutewomen with 13 points, six rebounds and four assists. Senior Kate Mills (Elkton, Md.) was the only other double-figure scorer for UMass with 10 points as well as seven boards. The Minutewomen shot just 36 percent (17-47) from the field, while Hartford shot 51 percent (25-49).
A very slow start for the Minutewomen resulted in a 13-6 deficit seven and a half minutes into the start of the game. UMass connected on just two of its first 12 shots (17 percent) from the field. The Hawks, meanwhile, began the game 6-of-9 (67 percent). The Minutewomen responded with a 7-0 run in the next 2:51 to tie the game at 13. Tamara Tatham scored the first six points of the run to get UMass right back in to the game.
The Hawks came right back with an 8-0 run to take their largest lead of the game at 21-13 before a basket by junior Whitney McDonald (Ossining, N.Y.) ended a four-minute scoring drought for the Minutewomen with five and a half minutes remaining in the first half. Hartford continued the run and soon led 28-15 with just under four minutes remaining.
A jumper by Tatham with 1:28 left snapped a 7:10 scoring drought for UMass. Tatham then made a pair of free throws at the end of the half to cut the Hawks' lead to nine points at 29-19. The Minutewomen shot just 29 percent (6-21) from the field. Hartford, meanwhile, cooled off to shoot 39 percent (9-23) after being above 50 percent for much of the half. Rebounding kept the Minutewomen in the game as they held a 19-13 edge on the glass and yielded just four offensive rebounds. UMass committed 10 turnovers in the first stanza. UMass scored just four points in the last 9:21 of the first half, but were down just the nine points.
UMass got within five at the start of the second half, but a quick 7-0 run by the Hawks made it a 39-27 game and forced a UMass timeout with 15:59 left in the second half. Hartford continued its torrid shooting from behind the arc and took a 49-31 lead with 11:02 left after MaryLynne Schaefer connected on her fourth three-pointer of the night. This one came from six feet behind the line to keep her perfect night (4-4) in tact.
UMass continued to struggle from the field and was never able to mount a run to get back into the game. It was a 23-5 Hartford run in 8:09 that provided the knock-out punch and UMass was never able to get its deficit under 20 the rest of the way.
UMass held a 32-30 edge on the boards, but committed 15 turnovers. Danielle Hood led Hartford with 16 points. Schaefer had 12 while Lisa Etienne added 11. The Hawks were 6-for-14 (43 percent) from three-point range.
Massachusetts will travel to Western New York for a 1:00 PM game at Buffalo on Sunday, Dec. 10. The game can be heard on WMUA, 91.1 FM in Amherst and online at www.umassathletics.com. Marc Betrand and Zach Claudio have the call beginning at 12:30 PM.
