The top-seeded Hartford Hawks used one of the best defensive efforts in conference tournament history to topple No. 8 Maine, 58-35, in quarterfinal action of the 2006 Friendship Cottage Cheese America East Women's Basketball Championship at Chase Arena in Reich Family Pavilion. Hartford advances to the semifinals where they will take on the winner of the Binghamton-UMBC game on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
The Hawks held Maine to the fewest field goals (12), the third-lowest point total (35) and the fifth-lowest field goal percentage (26.7 percent) in conference tournament history.
Maine trailed by 11 at the break, 26-15, but opened the second half on a 5-0 run to cut the Hawks' lead to six, 26-20. Hartford then held the Black Bears scoreless for the next 10:39 as the Hawks blew game open with a 21-0 run.
Sophomore Danielle Hood led all players in the game with 17 points on 6-of-9 from the field and 5-of-7 at the free throw line. Senior Erika Messam was the only other Hawk to finish in double digits with 11 points. The Hawks shot 45.8 percent in the second half on an 11-of-24 shooting effort. They finished the game shooting a combined 39.9 percent from the floor (22-of-56).
Hartford took advantage of a game-high 12 rebounds from freshman Erica Beverly to take a 44-31 advantage on the boards in the game. Hood also added seven rebounds for the home team. The 12-rebound game for Beverly is the ninth game this season that she has had 10 or more rebounds.
Maine was led by Bracey Barker's team-high 11 points. The Black Bears season comes to an end with a final 10-19 record, while the Hawks' best season ever continues with a 24-3 mark.
The winner of the conference’s nine-team tournament earns the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
VISITORS: Maine
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player FG FGA FG FGA FT FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
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10 Ashley Underwood.... * 3 11 1 3 2 2 0 6 6 5 9 4 4 0 0 38
12 Lindsey Hugstad-Vaa. * 0 2 0 0 0 2 1 2 3 2 0 0 4 4 1 26
21 Margaret Elderton... * 1 12 1 5 0 0 1 2 3 1 3 4 3 0 0 24
34 Bracey Barker....... * 5 9 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 11 0 1 1 1 33
55 Abby Schrader....... * 2 4 0 0 4 4 0 3 3 3 8 0 0 0 2 23
02 Kris Younan......... 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 1 0 1 4 0 1 16
20 Katie Whittier...... 0 2 0 0 2 2 0 3 3 0 2 0 2 1 0 16
30 Brittany Bowen...... 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 7
32 Colleen Kilmurray... 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 2 2 0 2 0 0 17
TM TEAM................ 3 4 7
Totals.............. 12 45 3 12 8 10 7 24 31 17 35 10 22 6 5 200
TOTAL FG%: .267 DEADBALL
3-Pt. FG%: .250 REBOUNDS
F Throw %: .800 1
HOME TEAM: Hartford
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player FG FGA FG FGA FT FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
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03 Danielle Wexler..... * 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 4 4 1 0 3 2 0 1 23
12 Erika Messam........ * 4 10 0 4 3 3 0 2 2 0 11 3 2 0 3 25
14 Ikea Witt........... * 4 8 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 8 2 1 1 0 26
24 Danielle Hood....... * 6 9 0 0 5 7 3 4 7 2 17 0 1 0 1 22
32 Erica Beverly....... * 3 4 0 0 2 3 3 9 12 0 8 0 1 3 1 22
04 Jamie McCabe........ 0 2 0 2 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 15
10 Courtney Gomez...... 2 2 1 1 2 4 0 0 0 1 7 1 1 0 0 9
15 Kate DiDonato....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 4
21 Jenna Gale.......... 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 1 2 0 1 6
22 Danielle Matulis.... 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5
33 Marylynne Schaefer.. 0 6 0 4 0 0 1 1 2 2 0 0 1 0 0 18
44 Katie Kelley........ 1 6 0 0 0 0 4 1 5 2 2 0 3 0 1 14
54 Jessica Clark....... 1 4 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 3 1 1 0 0 11
TM TEAM................ 4 3 7
Totals.............. 22 56 1 14 13 20 17 27 44 12 58 11 16 4 8 200
TOTAL FG%: .393 DEADBALL
3-Pt. FG%: .071 REBOUNDS
F Throw %: .650 0
Date: 3/10/06 Site: Chase Arena (West Hartford, CT) Attendance: 0
Officials: Kathy Lynch; Jack Riordan; Rita Roach;
Technical fouls: Maine-None. Hartford-None.
Score by Periods 1 2 Total
Maine............... 15 20 - 35
Hartford............ 26 32 - 58