College Park, Md. (Dec. 14, 2013) --- Despite a game-high 22 points from freshman guard Raven Bankston, the short-handed Delaware State University women's basketball team could not handle No. 8 Maryland's balanced attack in the Terps' 93-44 win over the Lady Hornets at the Comcast Center this evening.

Bankston, a two-time MEAC Rookie-of-the-Week, has reached double-figures in scoring in each of her eight games at DSU. Her scoring average has climbed to 19.4 points per-game.

She was the only Delaware State player to score in double-figures in the contest. Deanna Harmon (sr.) had nine points and a team-high eight rebounds for the Lady Hornets. N'Kayah Kersey (so.) came off the bench to tally five points (3 pt. FG; 2-2 FTs) for DSU.

Delaware State played without injured starters Tierra Hawkins (jr.) and Raine Bankston (fr.). Hawkins is the Lady Hornets' leading scorer at 23.0 points per game.

Just eight players saw action for the Lady Hornets.

Alyssa Thomas led four Maryland players in double figures with 18 points. Thomas, who was five-for-nine from the field and eight-of-eight at the free throw line, also pulled down 10 rebounds. Shatori Walker-Kimbrough came off the bench to add 13 points, while Lexie Brown had 11 and Malina Howard 10 for the Terps.    

Maryland scored the first seven points of the game, and opened up a 17-4 lead on a lay-up by Laurin Mincy with 16:33 left in the first half.

The Lady Hornets answered with a 5-0 run and pulled to within 17-9 on a three-point play by Harmon with 15:24 remaining in the opening half.

DSU only trailed 24-16 when Maryland ran off nine straight points to pull away. Alicia DeVaughn capped off the run with a lay-up to give the Terps a 33-16 lead with 7:11 to go before halftime.

Maryland led 45-22 at the break.

The Lady Hornets could get no closer than 23 points in the second half.

DSU was 15-for-62 from the field (24.2%), including two-of-14 from three-point territory (14.3%). Maryland was 35-for-74 overall from the floor (47.3%) and four-of-14 from beyond the arc (28.6%).

The Lady Hornets dropped their second straight game to fall to 3-5, while Maryland improved to 10-1. The Terps' only loss this season was to No. 1 Connecticut.

Maryland is DSU's second nationally-ranked opponent this season. The Lady Hornets dropped a hard-fought 73-67 decision to (then) No. 25 Vanderbilt on Nov. 14

Delaware State is also on the road for the next two games, beginning with a visit to West Virginia on Wednesday (Dec. 18). Game time is 7:00 p.m. in Morgantown, W.V. The Lady Hornets will wrap up the three-game road swing at Marshall on Saturday (Dec. 21) at 12:00 p.m. in Huntington, W.V.

DSU returns home on Dec. 29 to face St. Francis (N.Y.). Tip-off is 2:00 p.m. in Memorial Hall.