NEWARK, DE -- Junior guard Tyresa Smith (at right) ignited a second half University of Delaware surge by making eight straight field goals at one point and finished with 22 points and a career-high 16 rebounds as the Blue Hens pulled away for a 64-52 Colonial Athletic Association women’s basketball triumph over Towson Friday night at the Bob Carpenter Center.

Smith, who also recorded five steals and a team-high three assists, hit her final shot of the first half and connected on her first seven from the field in the second half as the Blue Hens overcame a 28-27 halftime deficit by outscoring the Tigers 15-4 over the first six minutes of the second stanza to take control.

The Blue Hens (18-5, 10-4 CAA) remained in a tie for third place in the CAA standings with Hofstra as they won for the second time in the last three outings. Amanda Blackstone scored 10 of her 12 points in the first half and added eight rebounds while Courtney Irving came off the bench to deliver 14 points, including a 12 for 12 performance from the foul line, to go with five rebounds.

Delaware is now 10-0 at home this season and extended its regular season home winning streak to 11 games dating back to last season. Towson had handed the Hens their last regular season home loss last Feb. 20 with a 68-59 win. The Hens will look to extend the streak Sunday when they host 14-time defending CAA champion and current league leading Old Dominion (15-7, 13-0 CAA) at 1 p.m.

Towson, which lost for the 10th time in its last 11 games, got 17 points and six rebounds from forward Tierra Jackson and 14 points, including four three-pointers, and eight rebounds from guard Jamell Beasley. Delaware swept the season series from the Tigers, having downed Towson 67-56 back on Jan. 13.

Delaware led by six early in the first half, jumping out to 9-3 lead five minutes in, but Towson chipped away at the lead and finally went up 17-16 with 7:36 left to play. The half featured three more lead changes and two ties before the Tigers took a 28-27 lead into intermission on a three-pointer by Beasley with eight seconds left before intermission.

A quick start to the second half ignited Delaware to the victory as the Hens outscored Towson 11-2 over the first four minutes and 15-4 over the first six to take control at 42-32 with 13:20 left. Smith hit four straight shots during that opening run and extended her consecutive field goals made streak to eight when she converted a jumper with 11:07 remaining to give Delaware its largest lead of the game at 48-36.

But Towson wouldn’t go away and once again chipped away at the advantage, closing the gap to 55-50 on two free throws by Beasley with 3:41 left to cap an 8-2 run. Alena Koshansky hit two free throws to push the lead back to seven with 3:37 left but the Tigers narrowed the gap to five once again at the 1:18 mark on two free throws by Kacy O’Brien.

Towson would never get closer as the Hens, who hit 20 of 25 free throws for the game, including 15 of 17 in the second half, converted six of seven from the line the rest of the way, including four by Irving, to preserve the win.

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