(Akron, Ohio) – Friday afternoon, in what was the first game of the Akron Classic, the Delaware State women's basketball team (0-1) opened the 2014-15 regular season with a 76-55 loss to the Northern Kentucky Norse (1-0).  

In the first half, both teams struggled from the field going a combined 17-of-56 (.303), including a 3-of-16 (.187) effort from beyond the arc.  However, the Norse took advantage of DSU falling into early foul trouble with a 15-of-21 (.714) outing at the charity stripe as they led 35-24 at the break.

For the Lady Hornets, forward Tierra Hawkins led all scorers at intermission with 10 points (4-of-8), while last season's leading scorer (21.3 ppg) Raven Bankston struggled to find her groove on just 1-of-9  (.111) shooting and picking up two fouls.

The second stanza, meanwhile, featured NKU opening on a 10-0 run, sparked by back-to-back Melody Doss threes. Adding insult to injury, Delaware State did not hit its first bucket until guard Mikah Aldridge, a native of nearby Cleveland, drained a three at the 15:37 mark to make it a 45-27 ball game.   

As the half progressed, DSU failed to get within 15 the rest of the way as Northern Kentucky held on for the double digit victory. 

The Norse, who was picked to finish third in the Atlantic Sun Conference Preseason coaches and media preseason polls, bounced back from a slow offensive start to shoot 58 percent (11-of-19) in the second half, headlined by Doss dropping 15 out of her team-high 18 points (7-of-10).  NKU also won the battle on the boards, 46-35, with Faith Sanders pulling down a game-high 11 rebounds.

Leading the way for the Lady Hornets was Hawkins pouring in a game-high 20 points (8-of-15) as one of three DSU players to finish the afternoon in double figures.  Bankston, who was one of two Hornets to foul out, failed to shake off a slow start to go 2-of-14 (.142) to finish with 11 points.

Tomorrow, the Columbia Blue & Red will wrap up the Akron Classic at 1 p.m. against Binghamton, in what will be the first meeting ever between the two squads.

Stingers

Totaling one block in Thursday's loss, Tierra Hawkins is now tied with RoShunda Fobbs (1997-99) for 10th all-time career lists with 53 … Finishing with 11 points, Raven Bankston eclipsed the 600-point mark for her career (606)… Amber Bogard totaled 10 points (4-of-9) and two rebounds in her first game since transferring from Eastern Michigan… DSU has now dropped three-straight season openers.