TOWSON, Md. - An 11-3 run in the second half helped Delaware come from behind to earn a 64-52 win over the Tigers on Thursday night. Simona Petronyte led the Tigers (8-15, 2-10 CAA) with 12 points and five rebounds in the contest.
"We came out with a lot of intensity and energy and I'm proud of our kids for battling tonight," said Coach Joe Mathews. "It came down to a stretch where we just couldn't take advantage with Elena Delle Donne not in the game and make the shots we needed."
The first half was a tight battle with neither team able to open up a large advantage. With the game tied at 4-4, the Blue Hens went on a 7-0 run to take an 11-4 lead with 13:11 to play. That run was highlighted by a Vanessa Kabongo three-pointer. The Tigers responded with a 7-0 run of their own to tie the game at 11-11 with 10:11 to play in the half. Petronyte had a triple of her own during that run. The Delaware lead would fluctuate between one and three points over the next couple of minutes. Jocelyn Bailey hit a lay-up with 5:24 to play that would put Delaware up 20-15. The Tigers would close the first half on a 14-7 run to take a 29-27 lead at the break. Sheree Ledbetter scored five for the Tigers during that stretch while Deree Fooks added four.
Delaware shot 40% from the field in the first 20 minutes while the Tigers shot 35.3%. Towson held a slight edge on the boards in the first half, 24-22.
Towson scored four of the first seven points in the second half and held a 33-30 advantage with 16:58 to go in the game. Lauren Carra converted a three-point play at 16:31 to tie the game and start the 11-3 run that gave Delaware the lead for good in the game. That run was capped by a Carra lay-up that gave Delaware a 41-36 advantage with 13:02 to play. Delaware would push its lead to 45-39 before Petronyte hit her second three-pointer of the game to make it a 45-42 game with 10:11 to go. The two teams traded baskets over the next several minutes with a pair of Delle Donne free throws making it a 53-45 game with 5:14 to go. Petronyte connected from behind the arc and Jaleesa Dryver hit one of two from the line to make it a 53-49 game with 3:12 to play. That was as close as the Tigers would get the rest of the way as Delaware scored 11 of the 14 points in the game to seal the victory.
Delaware took advantage of its opportunities at the foul line in the second half as the Blue Hens hit 15-of-17 shots from the charity stripe.
Petronyte, who played in the 100th game of her career finished with 12 points and five rebounds. Ledbetter scored in double figures for the second straight game while scoring 11 points and leading the Tigers on the boards with seven. She also tied her career-high with four assists.
Delle Donne and Danielle Parker posted "double-doubles" to lead a Delaware effort that saw four starters score in double figures. Delle Donne finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots. Parker added 13 points and 11 boards while Kabongo had 12 points and Carra had 10.
Towson returns to action on Sunday, February 13 when it visits Georgia State. Tip time in Atlanta is set for 2 p.m.
-- TOWSONTIGERS.COM --
