Carter Scores 33, Blue Hens Hold Off Saint Francis For Impressive 88-83 Victory

Sunday, December 9

Bob Carpenter Center

2:00 PM

University of Delaware

Saint Francis (Pa.)

Saint Francis (PA)

Delaware

Photo by: Mark Jordan

Carter Scores 33, Blue Hens Hold Off Saint Francis For Impressive 88-83 Victory

12/9/2018 5:14:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

NEWARK, Del. – Eric Carter scored a career-high 33 points and the Blue Hens held off Saint Francis down the stretch as Delaware recorded an impressive 88-83 victory over the Red Flash Sunday afternoon at the Bob Carpenter Center.

Carter finished 12 of 14 from the field, grabbed 12 rebounds to post his fourth double-double of the year, and dished out a team-high five assists to pace the Blue Hens (8-3), who shot 57.6 percent from the field. Ithiel Horton reached double figures for the ninth consecutive game with 15 points, Kevin Anderson added 14 points, and Darian Bryant contributed 12 points and seven rebounds.

Jamaal King paced Saint Francis (3-6) with season-highs 26 points and eight assists while not committing a turnover, and Keith Braxton added 19 points, nine rebounds and five assists. The Red Flash shot 50.0 percent from the field and knocked down 14 three-pointers on the afternoon.

Delaware shot 60.0 percent during the opening 20 minutes to take a 43-39 lead into the break, but Saint Francis opened the second half with a 10-3 run and still led by three at 66-63 with 9:38 to play. However Carter scored five straight points before Matt Veretto added a three-pointer during an eight-point UD spurt that put the Blue Hens in front for good.

The Red Flash closed within two points on four occasions, the final time at 85-83 following two Braxton free throws with 43 seconds remaining. However Anderson drove down the lane for a layup with 13 seconds left, and after Braxton missed a three-point attempt, Horton hit a free throw to seal the victory.

Head Coach Martin Ingelsby
"I think we have a group that can really score, we're not in the 60s and 70s as much as we used to be. We were really efficient on the offensive end, and I'm really proud of how we handled the basketball. To see us only have five turnovers against a good team, that's progress for us. I can't say enough about Eric Carter. I'm really proud of how he's led our group. He's got a really strong voice and our guys look up to him. He's playing like the best big guy in the league right now."

Eric Carter
"Saint Francis is a great team but if we play like this, talk and execute, I have faith in my teammates that we can beat a lot of teams. Our guards did a great job of taking care of the ball, which was a point of emphasis for us. We got stops late in the game, and that's what matters."

Kevin Anderson
"Overall everybody played great; our freshmen made shots and Eric (Carter) was amazing. I think he's the best big man in our conference. We had some adversity this week, but we can't let other teams beat us in our building."

Game Notes:
• Carter's 33 points are the most by a Blue Hen since Kory Holden also scored 33 at Towson on Jan. 30, 2016
• Carter has recorded double-doubles in three of the last four games
• Carter is now tied for 14th place in UD history with 613 career rebounds
• Both teams committed just five turnovers
• Delaware held a 46-24 points in the paint advantage
• The Blue Hens posted their highest shooting percentage since shooting 58.6% vs. UNCW on Jan. 7