the Informer

The No. 1 seeded Hartford Women’s basketball team went undefeated in the America East regular season and captured their first national ranking in school history, but the Hawks aren’t satisfied.

“We are taking it one day and one practice at a time to keep working and getting better,” said junior point-guard Jackie Smith. “We know we have a target on our back so it’s important that we make ourselves better.”

The No. 21/23-ranked Hawks (25-3, 16-0 America East) will face the winner of Thursday night’s play-in game featuring eighth-seeded Maine and ninth-seeded New Hampshire. Hartford will square off against the winner on Friday at 6 p.m.

The Hawks are led by the dynamic senior duo of Diana Delva and Erica Beverly. Delva finished the regular season shooting 65 percent from the floor, the second best field-goal shooting percentage in the nation. She leads the team in scoring and rebounds with 14.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.

“It’s not an individual effort, it’s about trying to get the best available shot for the team,” said Delva when asked about her inside scoring ability. “We have really great shooters on the team so when other teams double Erica and I, we’re trying to kick it out to the open player.”

Beverly, a pre-season Wooden Award candidate, finished in the top 10 in the conference in rebounding with 6.9 per game, while leading the league in Blocks. She’s averaging nine points per game.

“As a senior and a captain I’m just trying to lead the team in any way I can,” said Beverly, who along with Smith and senior Jenna Peterson serve as tri-captains. “When the team needs a big stop or big shot I just try to find the best way to get it done.”

While Delva and Beverly will get most of the attention there are plenty of other players capable of stepping up for the Hawks. Smith leads the team in three-point shooting and tied a school record twice this season for six three-pointers made in a game. She also led the team with 3.2 assist per game.

Shooters such as Mary Silvia, Ilicia Mathis and Daphne Elliott have also proven to come up big for the Hawks off of the bench at some point throughout the season. The Hawks have nine players currently averaging over 15 minutes per game.

Maine is led by sophomore forward Samantha Wheeler and senior guard Kristin Baker. Both players provided sparks in games against the Hawks this season. New Hampshire features the inside-outside scoring tandem from guard’s Candace Williams and Amy Simpson on the perimeter and center Jill McDonald. Denise Beliveau, the 2007 Rookie of the Year, is another weapon for the Wildcats who can score and attack the basket.

“Our goal is to win a championship but we are taking it one game at a time,” said Delva. “It starts with preparing to play Maine or New Hampshire on Friday. Both teams are scrappy and play really hard so we know we can’t overlook them or anyone else in the tournament.”