The Ivy League visitors taught the Blue Hens a difficult lesson Thursday night at the Carpenter Center.
Up 11 with 4½ minutes on the clock at the Carpenter Center, Delaware got an education on how not to close a basketball game it was poised to win.
Instead, Cornell dominated the final minutes to score an improbable 74-67 nonconference victory over the Blue Hens, who committed 18 turnovers with three during that last dreadful stretch.
Twenty-seven of Cornell’s points came from UD turnovers.
“We got a little lackadaisical, especially just with taking care of the ball,” said point guard Jameer Nelson Jr., who had seven.
Jyare Davis had scored with 4:26 left to put the Hens up 65-54. Cornell outscored Delaware 20-2 the rest of the way to win its sixth in seven games this season.
“Tip your hat to Cornell,” Delaware coach Martin Ingelsby said. “They were the hungrier basketball team for 40 minutes. We went up 11 points and I think we just stopped playing.”
BOARD MEMBERS:For Blue Hens, rebounding is a group effort involving guards such as Christian Ray
IN STORE FOR MORE:Blue Hens must match Jackrabbits’ physical brand of football in FCS rematch
Cornell’s speedy pace, vigorous defense and physical superiority each took a toll. The Big Red scored on nine of 10 possessions after Delaware went up by 11.
“That’s what happens when you get comfortable,” Nelson said.
As a result, Delaware takes a 3-4 record into Saturday’s 2 p.m. visit from Atlantic 10 member Davidson.
“They made us pay every time we turned the basketball over,” Ingelsby said. “They got a three or got a layup or a 3-point play and it’s putting so much pressure on you. We have an 11-point lead and all of a sudden it’s just like, I’m not sure we dug in like we needed to. It’s almost like we felt the game was over.”
All that overshadowed a balanced scoring effort in which five Blue Hens scored in double figures — Davis (14 points), Nelson (13), Christian Ray (12), Ebby Asamoah (12) and L.J. Owens (10).
Delaware shot 49.1 percent from the field overall to Cornell’s 46.8 and enjoyed a 33-30 rebound edge led by Ray’s 10.
“We definitely competed,” said Asamoah, who made 4 of 9 3-pointers, “but little mental breakdowns we had definitely cost us the game there.”
The lead changed hands nine times and there were seven ties. Delaware had used a 23-8 run to take the 11-point lead it, ultimately, could not maintain.
“They got back into the game with just their activity, energy and knocking some really important threes down,” Ingelsby said.
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
