There is no place like home for the women’s basketball team.
The Bulldogs (3-7) nabbed their third consecutive win at the John J. Lee Amphitheater with a nail-biting 46-45 victory over Delaware State (5-7) last night.
With only 1:17 remaining in regulation, Eli point guard Tory Mauseth ’05 took the ball down the lane and hit a lay-up to put the Bulldogs up, 46-42. On the following possession, Delaware State’s Najmah Fauntleroy nailed a shot from downtown to cut the lead to one. Yale turned the ball over on the ensuing possession, but the Hornets missed a jumper and the Bulldogs held on for the victory.
“We knew they were good hustlers and very athletic,” Eli guard Chinenye Okafor ’07 said. “We just had to fight back with our defense as well.”
Mauseth led the Bulldogs with 13 points and went 3-for-4 from behind the arc. Mauseth is now only 10 three-pointers away from breaking the Yale career record of 157, set by Autumn Braddock ’99.
While Mauseth may have to wait a few games for her record, Eli center Erica Davis ’07, who also scored 11 points, blocked five shots on the night to tie the school record for the second time this season. Davis also grabbed eight rebounds. Guard Morgan Richards ’05 chipped in with nine points.
Fauntleroy, the sole Hornet to score in double figures, led Delaware State with 19 points and 18 rebounds.
Several elements contributed to the game’s low score.
“The coach warned us about their ‘blitz’ plays, so we knew [the Hornets] were going to be in our face a lot,” Davis said. “Both teams also ran the clock down on almost every possession to keep the scoring low.”
In the first half, the Bulldogs’ defense held the Lady Hornets to a mere 17.6 percent shooting, giving the Elis a good chance to break away early in the game. Midway through the half, Delaware State led Yale 15-13, but the Elis held them scoreless for the remainder of the frame and took a 22-15 halftime lead.
After the break, the Lady Hornets regrouped and shot for 36.7 percent, including 66.7 percent behind the arc.
“There’s no telling what will happen after halftime,” Mauseth said. “We had to be prepared if [Delaware State] came back, and that’s just what they did.”
After missing the jumper to take the lead near the end of the game, Delaware had to foul the Bulldogs to stop the clock. Since the Hornets had only three fouls in the second half, the Elis were hacked four more times before Davis went to the line for a free throw with a second left in the game.
Davis missed and the Hornets grabbed the rebound, but a Delaware State Hail Mary at the buzzer fell short.
The Elis will try to continue their success at home Saturday when they host Brown in their league opener.