NEWARK, Del. ? Ariene Jenkins and Vanessa Kabongo combined to score 12 points in overtime to lead the Delaware basketball team to a 64-59 victory over the Tigers on Sunday afternoon. The Tigers (12-7, 4-5 CAA) were plagued by turnover trouble in the game as they had 30 to Delaware's 24.
“I thought we did not do a good job of taking care of the basketball and it cost us in the end,” said Coach Joe Mathews. “It is something we are definitely going to need to work on in practice between now and Thursday's game.”
With the score tied at 49-49 at the end of regulation, the two teams headed to the extra session. Delaware scored six of the first eight points in the extra session to take a 55-51 advantage. Towson cut it to one with 2:39 remaining in the extra session as Katrina Wheeler converted a three-point play. Jenkins converted a pair of free throws with :37 remaining to put the home team up 61-56. Kabongo would go 3-for-4 from the foul line in the final :30 to seal the victory for the Blue Hens.
The two teams had been forced to play an extra session after a back and forth second stanza in the game. Delaware opened the second half on a 7-2 run to take a 25-24 lead with 15:11 to play. Towson responded with a 7-0 run capped by Meredith Kennedy's three-pointer to put the visitors up 31-25 with 14:19 to play. The two teams traded baskets over the next several minutes with a three-pointer by Tesia Harris at 7:15 putting Delaware up 38-35. Jenkins connected on a lay-up at 2:04 to put Delaware up in the game 48-44. Towson would tie the score and go ahead by one with :50 remaining on Wheeler's foul shot. Jenkins would hit one of two from the charity stripe with 23 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime.
The first half had also been a tightly contested contest. The two teams had three lead changes and saw the score tied three times in the first six minutes. Dovile Miliauskaite hit a lay-up at 11:22 to give Towson a 15-9 advantage, its largest lead of the game at that point. Delaware would fight back to tie the game at 15-15 with 8:41 to play in the half. Towson would respond by scoring seven unanswered points to take a 22-15 advantage with 3:313 to go. That run was capped by Simona Petronyte's trey. Delaware would score the final three points of the half and Towson took a 22-18 lead into the locker room.
Wheeler had her eighth “double-double” of the season and second straight to lead the Tigers. She posted 15 points and 11 rebounds in the game. Shanae Baker-Brice also scored in double figures in the game as she had 14 points, seven assists and six steals. Omara Parker had eight points and seven rebounds while Kennedy contributed six points and four rebounds.
Harris had 29 points to lead the Blue Hens while Kabongo and Corinthia Benison each added 10 points. Jenkins just missed the “double-double” with nine points and 10 rebounds.
The Tigers return to action on Thursday, February 5 at Georgia State. Tip time in Atlanta is set for 6 p.m.
