Salem University stayed within two possessions for most of the first half before Division I University of Delaware pulled away for a 111-54 victory over the Tigers in women's basketball Wednesday at Newark, Del. Junior transfer Faith Williams led Salem with team highs of 13 points and seven rebounds. Wednesday's game was the Tigers' first regular season women's basketball contest against a Division I opponent in more than 20 years.
 
Salem (0-2) jumped out to a 3-0 lead on Nateria Freeman's three-pointer on the Tigers' opening possession. After Delaware rallied to take an 11-7 lead, Jordan Crace hit a three-pointer to pull the Tigers within a point with 4:35 left in the first quarter.
 
Delaware (1-0) built the lead to as many as eight points before Crace hit another three with eight seconds remaining to close the gap to 22-17 at the end of the first quarter. Crace and Inari Jones combined for 13 first-quarter points for the Tigers.
 
Delaware used a jumper on their initial possession of the second quarter and Jasmine Dickey's three-point play with 8:19 left before halftime to give the Blue Hens their first double-digit lead of the game. Alicia Smith answered with a pair of free throws and a putback by Williams brought Salem within 27-21 with just over seven minutes remaining.
 
After calling a timeout, Delaware followed with a 21-4 run and the margin stayed above 20 points the remainder of the contest. Smith and Daniela Quesada scored in the final 90 seconds of the half, but Ty Battle's layup with nine seconds left gave the Blue Hens a 55-31 lead over the Tigers at the break.
 
The Blue Hens added to their lead in the opening minute of the third quarter before Williams answered with a three-point play with 8:45 remaining and two more free throws less than a minute later. But Salem was not able to get any closer than 25 points.
 
Delaware reached the 100-point mark on a pair of free throws with 4:26 left in the contest.
 
Jones joined Williams in double figures with 10 points and pulled down six rebounds. Smith finished with eight points, while Crace and Quesada added seven points apiece. Jones (6-for-6) and Smith (4-for-4) combined to go 10-for-10 from the free throw line. Salem got into early foul trouble as four Tigers finished the game with four or more personal fouls.
 
Dickey led all players with 31 points for Delaware, while Battle recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
 
Salem's last regular season women's basketball game against a Division I team took place during the 1998-99 season against High Point University, which was in its final year of transition from Division II to Division I. The Tigers opened the 2019-20 women's basketball season with an exhibition game against West Virginia University.
 
Salem concludes its Thanksgiving Weekend road trip Sunday as the Tigers travel to Norfolk, Va., to take on Norfolk State University. This marks the first time in Salem women's basketball history (NCAA Division II era) that Salem will have played two contests against Division I opponents in the same season. Tip-off is 4 p.m. Spectators will not be permitted at the game.