Painter dabs double-double onto stat sheet in Delaware win vs. Elon

Dylan Painter was Delaware’s offensive target early Saturday in the Blue Hens’ Colonial Athletic Association basketball matchup with Elon.

When Elon defenders decided to crank up the pressure on Painter, he simply passed the ball to Jyare Davis for three straight baskets.

“We have so many scoring options,” Painter said afterward, “if you wanna double us, somebody else is gonna get you.

“It’s very nice to play like that . . . It’s so fun to play with this team, just all the weapons.”

That was quite evident inside the Carpenter Center, where Painter’s sixth double-double this year, comprised of 23 points and 12 rebounds, sparked Delaware to its second wire-to-wire win in three days 80-77.

BOX SCORE: Delaware 80, Elon 77

Delaware’s guards did their thing, too, as Ryan Allen scored 13 points, Kevin Anderson 11 and Ebby Asamoah 10 on a day Delaware shot 52.1 percent from the field and enjoyed a 33-27 rebounding advantage.

In five CAA games over the past 12 days, Delaware hasn’t scored less than 77 points.

“He’s such a huge factor for us at both ends of the floor, rebounding the ball, scoring around the basket,” Delaware coach Martin Ingelsby said of Painter. “We tried to establish him early.”

But what happened later did cast a bit of a shadow over an otherwise satisfying effort as Delaware improved to 14-6 overall, 5-2 CAA. Delaware has won five straight and eight of the last nine games against Elon (5-15, 2-5).

CAA STANDINGS: Blue Hens tied for second place

A major test looms for the Blue Hens Monday when Towson (14-6, 5-2) visits for a 7 p.m. tip-off. Delaware will play the Tigers again three nights later at Towson. Delaware, which is 7-0 at home this year, and Towson are tied for second place in the CAA behind UNC-Wilmington, which won at Towson 81-77 in overtime Saturday.

Delaware led by as many as 18 in the first half Saturday and took a 44-32 lead into halftime, having shot 55.6 percent (15-for-27) over the first 20 minutes.

The lead then grew to 50-32 early in the second half before, in what has also been a characteristic of these Blue Hens, they failed to put away a faltering foe.

Delaware made just four field goals in the final nine minutes as Elon put a serious scare into the Hens and a matinee crowd of 1,664.

Elon scored on eight of its final nine possessions, pulling within 78-75 on Torrence Watson’s 3-pointer with 11 seconds left.

FIREPOWER FOR SURE: Asamoah, season-high assists highlight win over Tribe

But Anderson eased the tension and clinched the win by draining two foul shots with six seconds left to make it 80-75.