PHILADELPHIA -- The long wait was worth it for the University of Delaware men’s basketball squad as the Blue Hens won their first game of the season Thursday night with a decisive 71-53 victory over Niagara in the opening round of the LaSalle Classic Tournament at Tom Gola Arena.

Junior guard Sam McMahon (at right) made his first career start and delivered a career-high 20 points while matching a career-high with eight rebounds and Herb Courtney posted his third straight 20-point effort with a game-high 22 points as the Blue Hens (1-9) snapped a 10-game losing streak that dated back to last season and was the team’s longest since the 1978-79 season. Delaware’s 0-9 start was the team’s worst since the 1929-30 season.

The Hens, who also snapped a six-game road losing streak, had been one of only two remaining NCAA Division I teams without a victory this season, leaving Iona as the lone team without a win. Freshman Brian Johnson added 12 points and a career-high nine assists while Darrell Johnson added nine points and Zaire Taylor pulled eight rebounds.

First-year Delaware head coach Monté Ross picked up his first career college coaching victory in the same town in which he served as an assistant coach at Saint Joseph’s University for the previous 10 seasons.

“We really played team basketball at its essence tonight,” said Ross. “We looked very good and we did an excellent job of moving without the ball and getting in spots where we were a threat. Our guys did an excellent job of making shots. I’m proud of them.”

Niagara, which had won its previous three games, fell to 4-7 and was led by forward Cliff Brown’s nine points and six rebounds. Five other Niagara players scored eight points. The game was the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

The Blue Hens shot 51.9 percent from the field and converted a season-high 11 three-pointers in 19 attempts. Delaware also reached a season-high for points and the 53 points allowed were the fewest by an opponent this season.

Delaware was rarely threatened the entire contest. After the Hens jumped out to leads of 9-2 and 18-10, Niagara responded with a 14-2 run to take the lead at 24-20 with 4:30 left in the opening stanza. But the Hens answered with a 13-1 run to close the half and took a 33-25 lead into intermission - marking just the second time all season the Hens took a lead into the half.

Niagara scored the first basket of the second half to cut the lead to 33-27, but that was the closest the Purple Eagles would get the rest of the night. Delaware responded with a 19-8 run to go up 52-35 with 11:18 remaining. Niagara’s 8-2 run cut the gap to 54-43 with 7:59 left, but the Hens ended the threat and pulled away with a 9-2 run with McMahon knocking down two three-pointers during the stretch.

Delaware will take on host LaSalle in the second round Friday night at 6 p.m. The host Explorers lost their first round game to Holy Cross 68-48 earlier Thursday.

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