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After a scoreless first half, the D.C. Divas put together three scoring drives in the second half and their defense limited the host New York Sharks to a late touchdown en route to a 21-7 victory on Saturday in Brooklyn, N.Y.

The Divas (4-0) have won their four games by a combined margin of 118-14, and have nearly pitched a shutout in all four contests. The Pittsburgh Passion scored their only touchdown against the Divas with less than two minutes remaining on May 2 and the Sharks were held scoreless to the same point on Saturday. The Divas have now won three of four meetings with the Sharks, a perennial power during their 10 seasons in the Independent Women's Football League.

"It was a real tough, physical game," said Divas' first-year coach Keith Howard. "I think a lot of the credit has to go to our strength and conditioning coach, Matt York. We were just able to wear them down. In the fourth quarter, our players were running around like it was the first quarter. We don't huddle on most plays and that wears other teams down."

On their first possession of the second half, the Divas marched 64 yards in 12 plays and got on the board when Claudia Hogan scored from 1 yard out on her first carry of the game. After linebacker Alissa Imbragulio recovered a fumble early in the fourth quarter, quarterback Allyson Hamlin plowed forward from a yard out and Tiffany Matthews added the two-point conversion for a 14-0 lead.

Midway through the fourth quarter the Divas sealed the verdict by completing a 55-yard drive in five plays that ended with Hamlin connecting on an 8-yard strike to wide receiver Tara Kallal. Kathryn Hemlock added the extra point for a 21-0 lead. The Sharks avoided the shutout by scoring a touchdown just after the two-minute warning. The Divas' ground game amassed 223 yards, led by running back Okiima Pickett, who carried 22 times for 117 yards.

"That was just a really good football game," Howard said. "I was just glad to get out of there with a win. New York is a very good team and we'll see them again here [on June 6]. This weekend we host Baltimore and that's going to be another tough game. They scored 32 points last week. I know they're looking at this game as their Super Bowl. We're not taking them lightly."

E-mail Ted Black at tblack@gazette.net.