Hartford’s Women’s Basketball team travelled to Providence, R.I. Thursday, March 21, to take on the Providence Friars in the first round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). Providence got off to a hot start in this one, opening up the first quarter with a 15-2 run, capped by a layup with 5:55 remaining. Hartford responded though with a 13-5 run of their own to finish the first quarter at a tight score of 20-15 in favor of the Friers. With 7:09 remaining in the second quarter, Hartford took its first lead of the contest when Sophomore Jade Young knocked down a three point shot, bringing the score to 23-21. However, Providence would stay hot in the quarter and it would be a back and forth battle right up until halftime, in which the Friars exited up by two with the score at 34-32. Coming out of the intermission, it would be all Providence for the remainder of the game. The third quarter ended with the Hawks down 51-41 after Providence put up a 17-9 advantage during the period. Hartford would only be able to get back as close as eight, before the Friars would run away with this one. Closing with a 14-5 run, Providence defeated Hartford by a final score of 71-54. This loss knocked the Hawks out of the WNIT and ended their impressive season at an overall record of 23-11.
Senior Lindsey Abed led all Hawks with 14 points on the night. With these points, Lindsey ends her outstanding career with a total of 1,397 points, the fourth most in Hartford Women’s Basketball history. Coming to the end of a season is always a bittersweet moment as it gives coaches, players, and fans alike an opportunity to look back at far they have come. The 2018-2019 season was certainly a memorable one for this program. Hartford racked up over 20 wins for the first time since 2013, and the team’s 23 wins are the most since the 2009-2010 team won 27. Making the WNIT was also a huge feat for the team as it is only their fifth appearance in program history, now with a WNIT record of 1-5. Stay tuned during the
offseason to what changes and improvements the Hartford Women’s Basketball team makes as they try to reload and come back next year for the 2019-2020 season.