the Informer

When the Hartford women’s basketball team suffered a 68-47 loss at Marist back in December, head coach Jen Rizzotti had some thinking to do. It was the third loss in eight games and the struggling Hawks made just 3 of 26 three-point attempts and shot just 28 percent from the floor.

Rizzotti responded by inserting senior guard Jenna Peterson and freshman forward Ruthanne Doherty into the starting lineup. Prior to that switch, Peterson had been used sparingly off of the bench in her career while Doherty was still adjusting to the pace and physicality of division one basketball as a freshman.

“We made our whole focus about finding a way to get stops on defense,” said fifth-year senior forward Erica Beverly. “We had been struggling to score early in the season so coach Rizzotti made that switch to start people who were ready to sit down and get stops. It was about getting back to the defense that has helped us win 20 games in each of the past five years I’ve been here,” Beverly said.

Since that rotation switch, the Hawks have won 18 consecutive games while winning the America East regular season championship and earning the first national ranking in school history. The 25-3 Hawks finished the regular season first in the conference and third in the nation in opponent’s scoring allowing just 50.5 points per game. One stretch during the conference season saw the Hawks hold eight consecutive opponents to 45 points or less.

One of the best showcases of Hartford’s stellar defense came in a showdown on the road against the top scoring team in the league Vermont.

Hartford trailed 16-14 at halftime and 27-22 with just 10 minutes remaining, but relied on their defense to carry them to a thrilling 38-36 victory in late January.

Diana Delva, who led the Hawks in that game with 20 points, finished with five blocks illuminated by the one on the three-point line against May Kotsopoulos in a tie game with three minutes remaining.

“Even when we aren’t shooting the ball well we know we can defend and control games that way,” said Delva.

“Our focus is constantly on team-defense and when we do get stops it helps get us to get our scoring going.”
Perhaps the biggest staple of Hartford’s tenacious defense has been the play of Beverly. She led the conference with 2.2 blocked shots per game while imposing her athletic presence in the paint. With the insertion of Doherty in the starting lineup, Beverly has played the small forward position for much of the season and has at times guarded the opponent’s top guards as well.

“She’s so athletic and can really defend someone all over the court,” added Delva of Beverly. “When you combine her with our defense on the perimeter like Jackie (Smith) and Jenna, it’s tough to find a way to score.”
The Hawks, who play either Maine or New Hampshire in the quarterfinals, are looking to continue their defensive dominance in the tournament. They held New Hampshire to an average of 40 points per game in two matchups, while holding Maine to an average of 35.5 points per game.