No Elena?  No problem.  At least not on Wednesday for the University of Delaware women’s basketball program.  Playing without their reigning All-American, Elena Delle Donne, the Hens dug themselves a 14-point first-half deficit, before beating St. Bonaventure, 68-58, at the Carpenter Center.

Delaware looked lethargic during the game’s first 15 minutes.  Head coach Tina Martin tried everything to wake her team up.  She used a pair of early timeouts, shifted from man to zone back to man on defense, and inserted about every personnel pairing she could think of during the game’s early stages.

Nothing seemed to work.  The Hens had to wake up, and when they did, things changed dramatically and quickly.  Delaware cut the Bonnies’ lead down to five by intermission.  After the game, guard Lauren Carra said it was that late first-half push which made the second-half surge possible.

“We made a run late {in the first half} that got us some momentum,” Carra said.  “That really set the tone for the second half when we put everything together and played really well, especially on the defensive end.”

The senior, who finished the night with 20 points and 13 rebounds for her second career double-double, also said that the effort was an example of her team’s intestinal fortitude.

“I think this team rallied together and overcame a good opponent tonight,” she said.  “We showed a lot of heart and a lot of toughness.  Different players stepped up when we needed them to, and everyone contributed.  This is the kind of game we can build on.”

Besides Carra, three players in particular turned in unexpectedly effective performances that contributed to Delaware’s victory. 

Jaquetta May got the start in place of Delle Donne and went to work in the post.  The 5-foot-9-inch senior, who had never played power forward before this season, scored 12 points on five-of-eight shooting from the floor. She did much of her damage in the post with her back to the basket.

Speaking of the post, the Hens needed another forward to provide some production with Danielle Parker struggling through a tough night.  That’s where Kelsey Buchanan entered the picture.  The junior added eight points and seven rebounds off the Delaware bench.  Most importantly, she provided toughness in the paint, something Tina Martin and her staff have been desperately trying to get out of Buchanan all season.

“I was so happy for Kelsey,” Carra said.  “When she made that one put-back for the and-one, we were all so excited, and a bunch of people started jumping on top of her.  She’s struggled early in the season, but it’s good to see her playing like that out there.”

Another player who got extra playing time and made the most of it was Kayla Miller.  The Hens’ backup point guard played a season-high 33 minutes.  She took many of them from starter Trumae Lucas, whom Martin chose to leave on the bench throughout most of the second half.

The coach said she had challenged the entire team, and Miller in particular, to cut down their turnover total.  Delaware had entered the night averaging over 16 giveaways per game, but turned it over just eight times in Wednesday’s win.  Miller had zero giveaways.  The senior also had two assists and set up three additional trips to the foul line for her teammates.

With performances like the ones turned in by Miller, Buchanan, May and Carra on Wednesday, the Hens will be able to hold their own while they wait for Delle Donne’s return.  The question now is simple; Just how long will Delaware be left holding its own while waiting for its star’s health to improve?

Unfortunately, that’s a query no one holds the answer to at the moment.