Strong Defensive Effort Spells Victory For Men’s Basketball

Thursday, January 19

Newark, Del.

7 p.m.

University of Delaware

11-9,3-4CAA

William & Mary

8-12,3-4CAA

William & Mary

Delaware

Photo by: Gavin Bethell

Strong Defensive Effort Spells Victory For Men’s Basketball

1/19/2023 9:06:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

NEWARK, Del. – Delaware men's basketball (11-9, 3-4 CAA) used a surgical defensive effort to earn the victory over William & Mary on Thursday evening,(8-12, 3-4) 80-53. The Blue Hens 80 points are the most in a game this season.

Delaware scored the first seven points of the game before the Tribe found the scoreboard with a triple. Jameer Nelson Jr. tallied the first five points of the game after missing the past three contests. The Hens would make it 12-6 at the first media stoppage with 14:36 left in the opening stanza. UD pulled ahead by as many as nine before turnovers led to an 8-0 run for the visitors to take the lead 19-18 with eight minutes left. The Hens pulled back ahead with a battle from the Tribe and ended the half up 38-31.

In just 11 minutes, Nelson Jr. led the Blue Hens with 11 points on a 5-of-8 half. The Hens shot 53.6 percent compared to William & Mary's 48-percent. However, the Tribe shot 6-of-12 from beyond the arc as opposed to Delaware's 4-of-12, with Gabe Dorsey hitting five of those six made threes.

Delaware tallied the first six points of the second half before a William & Mary timeout. The Blue Hens continued to outpace the visitors and held a 62-45 lead with just under eight minutes remaining. At that point, UD connected on seven of its last nine field goal attempts. UD finished the period outscoring its opponent 42-22 in the second half as a whole. Those 22 points were the lowest allowed in a second half for Delaware this season.

The Hens were a staunch defensive force late in the half, going on a 12-2 run late and holding the opponent to just 22 second-half points and just five points over the final 4:49.

UD claimed both the rebound (+7) and turnover (+5) battles. The Hens made 32 field-goal attempts in the game, its highest mark of the season.

Nelson Jr. finished with 20 points in 22 minutes in his return, while Jyáre Davis (14), LJ Owens (13), and Christian Ray (13) joined him in double figures. The Hens shot 56.1 percent from the field and 40-percent from downtown compared to the Tribe's marks of 42.2 and 42.1 percent, respectively.

Gianmarco Arletti finished with three blocks. That makes four of the last five games he's hit three or more.

Delaware takes a quick trip to Philadelphia on Saturday for the first of two matchups against Drexel.