Blue Hens Fall Just Short in 67-63 Loss To Charleston in CAA Tournament First Round

Friday, March 4

Royal Farms Arena, Baltimore, Md.

8:30 PM

University of Delaware

7-23

#7 Seed College of Charleston

17-13

Delaware

Col. of Charleston

Blue Hens Fall Just Short in 67-63 Loss To Charleston in CAA Tournament First Round

3/4/2016 11:57:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: Delaware Athletics

• Boxscore

BALTIMORE, Md. -- Kory Holden's driving attempt in the final seconds was blocked by Charleston's Cameron Johnson, as the seventh-seeded Cougars held on for a 67-63 victory over 10th-seeded Delaware in the first round of the Colonial Athletic Association Men's Basketball Tournament Friday night at Royal Farms Arena.

Charleston, which snapped a four-game losing streak while improving to 17-13 on the season, advances to Saturday's quarterfinals when the Cougars will face second-seeded UNCW at 6 p.m. The Blue Hens, who dropped their fourth in a row, end their season with a 7-23 record.

Holden, a second team All-CAA selection, finished with a game-high 30 points, hitting five three-pointers while tying his career-high with seven rebounds. Sophomore forward Skye Johnson, who was battling an illness all week, contributed a career-high 15 points on 7 of 8 shooting from the floor, while Maurice Jeffers added eight points and a team-leading eight boards. The Blue Hens held a narrow 36-34 rebounding advantage but were hurt by 18 turnovers, inclduing 13 in the first half.

Delaware played without senior forward and third team All-CAA pick Marvin King-Davis, who missed the game with a hamstring injury.

Payton Hulsey paced Charleston with a career-high 18 points, while CAA Rookie of the Year Jarrell Brantley contributed 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Delaware trailed 35-28 at the half and Charleston scored the first four points of the second period to take a double-digit lead but Delaware exploded for a 10-0 run, pulling within a point at 39-38 on a Cazmon Hayes leaner with 15 and a half minutes to play.

A bank shot by Johnson (above) gave Delaware its first lead of the half at 46-45 with 11:36 on the clock, while two free throws by Holden made it a 53-50 game with 8:57 to play.

Delaware was still up 54-53 after a Hayes free throw, but Charleston responded with seven straight points to go back in front 60-54. However the Blue Hens rallied back, as two Anthony Mosley free throws and a three-point play by Jeffers cut the deficit to a point with 3:58 remaining.

Holden scored off the glass to again bring Delaware within a point with 21 seconds on the clock, before the Cougars' Evan Bailey hit one of two free throws to make it a 65-63 game with 14 seconds to play. Holden then drove the left side of the lane, and after Johnson blocked his layup attempt, Brantley grabbed the rebound and hit two foul shots with one second left to close the scoring.

“We had 18 turnovers and missed seven free throws; we didn't need to be perfect tonight, but we had to be a little better,” said Delaware head coach Monté Ross. “Like a lot of our games this year, we just needed more contributions from more guys. This is Kory's team now, and he's earned it with the work he put in last summer and the way he played this year. It's our responsibility to make sure there's more help around him next season.”

Game Notes:
• Six of UD and Charleston's last seven matchups have been decided by four points or less
• Tonight's game was the first ever postseason meeting between two schools
• UD dropped to 5-4 in nine CAA Tournament First Round games
• Holden posted his third 30-point game of the year
• King-Davis finishes his career ranked 26th in UD history with 541 rebounds

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Kevin Tritt at: ktritt@udel.edu (email) / 302-831-8715 (office) / 302-383-5005 (cell)