NEWARK, Del. (Nov. 22, 2010) – The University of Delaware – behind a 26-point outing by Elena Delle Donne – outlasted the Saint Francis women's basketball team on Tuesday night, as they handed the Red Flash a hard-fought 68-52 setback at the Bob Carpenter Center.

The Red Flash managed to stay within striking distance until midway through the second half when the Blue Hens began to exploit their size advantage and pieced together a key 13-to-5 run.  The stretch which lasted nearly seven minutes transformed a tight contest into a double-digit (48-38) UD advantage.

“We played good enough defense to win,” said SFU head coach Susan Robinson Fruchtl, whose team dropped to 1-4 with loss.  “We didn't make – sometimes – the smartest decisions on offense.”

The Red Flash had a tough night shooting from close range as evidenced by their 28.4% mark from the floor – which included a 38.1% shooting night (8-for-21) from beyond the arc.  The Blue Hens racked up 10 blocks in the match.

UD also held a formidable edge on the boards, although Saint Francis showed a marked improvement from the first half to the second.

“Obviously, offensive boards in the first half [made a huge difference in the game].  We gave up 11 offensive boards in the first half and only gave up five in the second,” said Robinson Fruchtl.  “We would have had the lead if we would have done a better job with offensive boards in the first half.”

The Red Flash entered the intermission down, 30-26.

All said, the Blue Hens out-rebounded the Flash 56-to-37.  Three Delaware players grabbed 12 boards, including Delle Donne.  Sophomore Shené Fleming placed SFU with eight.

Offensively, Samantha Leach (Mount Sterling, Ohio/Miami Trace) and Allison Daly (Harrisburg, Pa./Trinity) paced the Red Flash with 12 and 11 points, respectively.  Daly also grabbed a game-high four steals.

Saint Francis opens its home schedule on Sunday when it welcomes Coppin State for a 2 p.m. contest at DeGol Arena.