University of Delaware Athletics
University of Delaware
0-55-11 | CAA
Towson
3-212-6 | CAA
Blue Hens Fall to Towson 79-77 in CAA Battle
1/14/2016 9:26:00 PM | Men's Basketball
• Boxscore
NEWARK, Del. -- In a tightly-fought contest that featured 11 ties and 20 lead changes, it was Towson that finally pulled out the victory as the University of Delaware dropped a tough 79-77 verdict Thursday night in a Colonial Athletic Association men's basketball battle at the Bob Carpenter Center.
Blue Hen sophomore guard Kory Holden scored a game-high 29 points to lead four scorers in double figures but it wasn't enough as the Hens remained winless in conference play and fell to 5-11 (0-5 
CAA) with their eighth straight loss.
Delaware senior forward Marvin King-Davis (at left) recorded his eight double-double of the season with 19 points and 11 rebounds while junior guard Cazmon Hayes (below right) added 14 points and sophomore guard Anthony Mosley chipped in with 11 points.
Holden also dished out a team-high six assists.
Towson (12-6, 3-2 CAA) got a big effort from forward William Adala Moto who poured in 22 points and pulled 15 rebounds and reached double figure scoring for the 13th straight game.
John Davis added 22 points and seven rebounds and Byron Hawkins contributed 14 points and five assists in the winning effort for the Tigers, who knocked down 10 of 29 three-pointers.
“Our guys gave tremendous effort again tonight, but our margin of error is so slim right now, we can't afford to shoot 59 percent from the foul line (16 of 27),” said Delaware head coach Monté Ross. “I saw some good things tonight – we committed just nine turnovers, and shot 50 percent in the second half (16 of 32). We just have to keep grinding and shore up some things. I thought Kory (Holden) played with confidence tonight and was his normal, aggressive self."
Neither team ever led by more than four points until the final minutes when Towson hit four straight free throws to take a 75-67 lead with 29 seconds left. The Hens cut the lead to 77-74 on two Holden free throws with 11 seconds left but Adala Moto sealed the deal with two free throws one second later. A halfcourt three-pointer at the buzzer by Holden made the final margin.
A hard-fought first half featured six ties and 12 lead changes and neither team led by more than four 
points. The Hens took a 30-29 lead with 2:21 left on a layup by Hayes, but Towson's Mike Morsell (11 points) tied the game with a free throw and added a layup and Davis, who scored 15 of his 22 points in the opening half, knocked down two free throws with 37 seconds left.
Delaware's King-Davis narrowed the deficit to 34-33 at the break when he converted a three-point play with 11 seconds left.
The Hens took the lead early in the second half and held it for the first four minutes before a Hawkins three-pointer and dunk put Towson up 45-41 with 14:57 left. The Tigers stayed in front for the next five minutes before a Holden three-pointer knotted the score at 53-53 with 9:05 left.
After Towson gained control, the Hens fought back and took its final lead at 64-62 on a Hayes jumper with 4:22 left. But Morsell followed with a three-pointer and Adala Moto hit three throws as part of a 8-0 run as Towson took the lead for good. Towson converted 11 of 14 over the final 1:20 to secure the win.
HEN SCRATCHINGS
• Delaware is off to an 0-5 start in league play for the first time since the 2006-07 season
• Holden reached the 20-point + mark for the sixth time this season and upped his team-leading scoring average to 17.0 points per game
• Delaware was hurt by 16 of 27 shooting from the foul line and was outrebounded 48-40
• Delaware will continue its three-game homestand Saturday, Jan. 16, when the Hens host Northeastern at 2 p.m. for Alumni Day The Huskies downed the Hens 88-56 in Boston back on Jan. 7
• Delaware honored the Teacher of the Year in each school district in the state in a special halftime ceremony
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Scott Selheimer | selheime@udel.edu | Office: 302-831-8007 | Cell: 302-562-5129
