Darling’s Game-Winner Gives Blue Hens Thrilling 80-78 Win Over James Madison

Saturday, February 8

Newark, DE

2:00 PM

University of Delaware

18-7,8-4CAA

James Madison

9-15,2-11CAA

James Madison

Delaware

Photo by: Sarah Boekholder

Darling’s Game-Winner Gives Blue Hens Thrilling 80-78 Win Over James Madison

2/8/2020 5:25:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

NEWARK, Del. – Nate Darling banked in a jumper in the lane with five seconds remaining as Delaware came back to edge James Madison, 80-78, in a Colonial Athletic Association thriller Saturday afternoon at the Bob Carpenter Center.

The Blue Hens, who won their sixth consecutive game, trailed for a majority of the second half and were down 76-73 with 1:26 remaining. But Kevin Anderson hit two free throws, and following a Dukes turnover, the junior point guard converted a driving layup to put Delaware up a point with 53 seconds to play.

Following a JMU miss, Ryan Allen was fouled and hit one free throw to give Delaware a 78-76 advantage. The Dukes' Deshon Parker answered with a layup to knot the game with 14 seconds on the clock, but Darling raced down the court and banked in an eight-foot jumper on the left side of the lane. Parker had a final contested shot at the buzzer for JMU, but it fell off the rim.

Darling continued his outstanding play with 27 points, including four triples and a perfect 9 of 9 performance from the foul line. Anderson finished with 21 points on the day, while Justyn Mutts posted his eighth double-double with 18 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.

Parker led JMU with 23 points, while Matt Lewis added 21 on the afternoon.

Neither team led by more than three points during the opening half, as Delaware took a slim 35-34 edge into the break. Delaware went up five early in the second half, but JMU countered with a nine-point spurt and held the lead until UD's comeback in the final minute.

Martin Ingelsby
"This was a heck of a battle, credit to our guys for being resilient. We kept battling and found a way to get it done. We got stops when we needed to and Nate hit a tough shot at the end. It was really important for our psyche to grind this one out. Our guards were fearless, and Justyn Mutts was fabulous defensively. We went small late in the game, which really helped us get to the basket and get fouled."

Nate Darling
"I had a soft touch on the last shot, I was able to get it off the glass and go in. This is a great team win, we were able to grind it out and the ending was fun. All of the teams in the league this year are good, so every CAA win is a plus for us. Our group is growing, and we had confidence we were going to win this game."