WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Blue Hens sought a transformation after recent struggles led to three distressing defeats to end the regular season.
On Sunday, they turned themselves into CAA Men’s Basketball Tournament semifinalists.
Renewed rebounding and defensive energy, a trait it may have lacked lately, spurred Delaware past Drexel 66-56 in a quarterfinal showdown at the Entertainment & Sports Arena.
BOX SCORE: Delaware 66, Drexel 56
CAA Rookie of the Year Jyare Davis made his first career start for the Blue Hen. The former All-Stater from Sanford School led Delaware with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Fellow post dweller Andrew Carr supplied 13 points and seven rebounds. Guard Jameer Nelson Jr. had 11- points for the Hens.
The Blue Hens (20-12) became the school’s ninth 20-win team school history.
They’ll continue their attempted makeover in Monday’s 6 p.m. semifinals (CBS Sports Network) against top-seeded Towson, a 68-61 victor over No. 9 Northeastern in Sunday’s first quarterfinal. Towson beat Delaware twice.
CAA BRACKET: Blue Hens seeded fifth
Delaware has reached the CAA semifinals seven times now, most recently when it lost to Hofstra in both 2019 and 2020. Delaware also made the semifinals in 2002, 2003, 2013 and its 2014 title run.
The title game is Tuesday, March 8, at 7 p.m., also on the CBS Sports Network.
Delaware is trying to become the first No. 5 seed to win in the tournament’s 39-year history. Only one No. 5, William & Mary in 2008, has reached the title game.
Fourth-seeded Drexel (15-14) won the 2021 CAA Tournament as the sixth seed, the lowest-seeded champion since East Carolina prevailed as the No. 7 in 1993.
Former CAA Player of the Year Camren Wynter scored 28 points for the Dragons.
It was the 165th meeting in the CAA’s oldest and most-played rivalry, which Delaware leads 85-80.
The Blue Hens and Dragons had each prevailed on the other’s home court in their two regular-season meetings. Delaware won 81-77 in Philadelphia on Jan. 11, when Drexel rallied from a 22-point second-half deficit and got within four. Drexel avenged that defeat at the Carpenter Center 76-68 on Feb. 3 in which it shot 53 percent from the field.
More on Blue Hens
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS: 5 ways Hens can cook up CAA title
HAPPY HOMECOMING: Sanford grad Davis of UD named CAA Rookie of the Year
ADDING ON: North Carolina A & T continues CAA expansion
The two had met three times in their previous 20 seasons in CAA Tournament games, with Delaware winning each time – in the 2002 quarterfinals and 2006 and 2008 play-in rounds.
Delaware led 27-16 at halftime, which equaled its largest lead of the opening 20 minutes.
The Hens quickly extended their lead to 38-23 to start the second half before a 10-0 Dragons run made it 38-33 with 13:27 left.
Delaware rebuilt the lead to 10 again, 43-33 with 11:57 to go, but Drexel whittled away. The Dragons got within three several times, the last on Coletrane Washington’s 3-pointer that made it 51-48 with 5:28 on the clock.
But Delaware followed with Kevin Anderson’s 3-pointer and a pair of 3-point plays by Davis to go up by 12 with 2:18 left.
As 20-game winners, the Hens joined their predecessors from 1991-92 (27-4); 1992-93 (22-8); 1997-98 (20-10); 1998-99 (25-6) 1999-00 (24-8); 2000-01 (20-10); 2013-14 (25-10); and 2019-20 (22-11).
Have an idea for a compelling local sports story or is there an issue that needs public scrutiny? Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com.
