Blue Hens Lock Down On Defense, Advance To CAA Championship Game

Friday, March 12

Elon, N.C.

2:30 p.m.

University of Delaware

21-3,16-2CAA

#5 Hofstra

8-12,5-7CAA

Hofstra

Delaware

Photo by: Tim Cowie

Blue Hens Lock Down On Defense, Advance To CAA Championship Game

3/12/2021 5:56:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Delaware beats Hofstra 60-39, the lowest opponent scoring total since 2018

ELON, N.C. – Top-seeded Delaware advanced to its first Colonial Athletic Association Women's Basketball Championship Final since 2014 after cruising to a 60-39 win over fifth-seeded Hofstra Friday afternoon inside the Schar Center.

The Blue Hens (21-3) locked down on defense, holding the Pride (8-12) to just 24 points across the final three quarters.

Hofstra's 39 points are the fewest Delaware has allowed since a 48-39 win over Saint Joseph's on Dec. 28, 2018, and the fewest in a CAA Tournament game since a 66-39 win over UNCW in the 2012 semifinals.

Delaware held Hofstra to just 22.8% (13-57) shooting from the floor, a season-low for Blue Hens opponents, and 26.7% (4-15) from three-point range.

Junior guard Jasmine Dickey led all scorers with 13 points, while Delaware's front line had a big day with senior forward Lizzie Oleary pouring in 12 points and redshirt junior forward Ty Battle scoring 10.

One more to go! #BlueHens #HensAreHot 🔥 pic.twitter.com/G9dBe9MfUQ
— Delaware Women's Basketball (@DelawareWBB) March 12, 2021

The Blue Hens were dominant down low, outscoring the Pride in the paint 32-12 and outrebounding Hofstra 57-42, which included 25 offensive boards. For the fourth straight game, both Dickey and Battle recorded double-doubles; Battle grabbed a game-high 14 boards to go with three assists and two steals, while Dickey had 11 rebounds with a steal and an assist.

Oleary and sophomore forward Brynn Wade also had big contributions on the boards, with nine and eight rebounds, respectively.

After Hofstra jumped out to an early lead in a frenetic first quarter, four straight points from Wade on back-to-back open lay-ups gave Delaware a lead it would never relinquish. Delaware closed the opening frame on a 12-5 run, capped off by a deep three from junior guard Jewel Smalls.

Delaware scored the last five points of the second quarter to take a 32-21 lead into halftime, then broke the game open in the third. JaKayla Brown, who led Hofstra with 10 points, opened the second half with a made jumper, but the Blue Hens responded with a 13-2 run over four minutes that featured six points from Battle.

After holding a 45-26 lead after three quarters, Delaware opened the fourth on a 9-0 run to ice the game.

Delaware will play the winner of the second semifinal between No. 2 James Madison and No. 3 Drexel in the championship game tomorrow, March 13, at 5 p.m. from the Schar Center. Every game of the CAA Tournament can be streamed on FloHoops.