When words like “All-American” and “professional draft pick” are thrown around, it’s easy to get caught up in the hype and become an instant bystander, admiring a good show. The UNC Wilmington women’s basketball team was determined not to fall into this trap.

Delaware came into Wilmington Thursday as the 12th-best team in the nation, while also boasting the nation’s top scorer, Elena Delle Donne. UNCW wasn’t phased. While the Blue Hens were able to come away with the 62-53 victory, UNCW showed vast improvement against the high-powered offense and fought off nearly every attack they faced.

“They had to play well in order to beat us,” said Seahawk coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke.

Led by Abria Trice and Karneshia Garrett, who both chipped in 10 points, UNCW ran a balanced offensive attack and maintained physical defense throughout the game. 

“Tonight was a very physical game,” said Garrett. “Coach just wanted us to play tougher in the post.”

Toughness is what it would take to slow superstar Delle Donne, who came into the game averaging 28 points and 10 rebounds. The 6-foot-5-inch forward towered over most UNCW defenders. But, it wasn’t just Delle Donne’s height and ability that spelled defeat for the Seahawks, who finished the night shooting just 34 percent from the floor and lost the rebounding war by 13.

“You’ve got to battle,” Cooper-Dyke said. “You’ve got to start battling for those rebounds, and I think that’s what Delaware did.”

Aside from the lack of rebounding on the defensive side, however, Cooper-Dyke expressed satisfaction with her team’s progress. “At the end of the day, I really felt like we grew up,” she said. “We demonstrated that we can hang with the top teams, not only in our conference, but the 12th team in the nation.”

The Seahawks look to carry this momentum with them into Sunday’s matchup against conference foe William and Mary. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.