PHILADELPHIA -- Chrissy Fisher (at right) led a balanced effort with team-highs of 15 points and eight rebounds and Kyle DeHaven came off the bench to add 14 points as the University of Delaware opened Colonial Athletic Association play with a 65-53 win over host Drexel Sunday afternoon at the Daskalakis Center.

The Blue Hens (6-1, 1-0 CAA), picked No. 3 in the CAA pre-season poll and vote-getters in the latest Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches Top 25 polls, won their fifth straight game and opened CAA action with a win for the sixth time in the last seven seasons.

Delaware overcame some uncharacteristic attributes to continue its mastery over the Dragons, defeating Drexel for the 17th straight time, including eight straight at the Daskalakis Center. The Hens, annually among the league leaders in free throw shooting and rebounding margin, connected on just 21 of 39 from the foul line (53.8 percent) and were outrebounded by a 36-28 margin.

However, the Hens hit 6 of 12 three-pointers and committed just five turnovers the entire game - a school record for fewest turnovers - while taking advantage of 27 miscues by the Dragons. Delaware scored 20 points off Drexel turnovers for the game while the Dragons scored just two.

Forward Nicole McCombs led Drexel (2-5, 0-1 CAA) with 20 points and eight rebounds while Narissa Suber scored all of her points from long-range, hitting five of her team’s seven three-pointers for 15 points.

DeHaven, a first-year transfer from William & Mary where she was an All-CAA performer, enjoyed her top scoring performance with the Blue Hens while also adding three assists and three steals. Tyresa Smith contributed 11 points and six rebounds for the Hens despite sitting out most of the first half due to foul trouble while Alena Koshansky added 10 points. Fisher, who played all 40 minutes, added three assists.

“We didn’t play our best basketball but we’ll take the win and move on,” said Delaware head coach Tina Martin. “We have to play consistent basketball. Everything today was in spurts. I thought Chrissy wanted the ball today and she stepped up and came through for us.”

Delaware led 10-9 early but took control as Koshansky capped a 9-0 spurt with a three-pointer to push the lead to 19-9 with 9:59 left. The Hens held Drexel scoreless for five minutes and 21 seconds during the run and later pushed the lead to as much as 15 points at 28-13. A late Drexel run closed the Delaware advantage to 32-25 at the half. DeHaven scored 13 of her 14 points during the first 20 minutes.

Drexel pulled to within six points at 34-28 on two McCombs free throws just over two minutes into the second half, but Delaware followed with an 11-3 run capped by a Fisher jumper and a Courtney Irving layup to push the lead up to 45-31 with 12:34 left to play. The Dragons never got closer than six points the rest of the way when they pulled to within 52-46 with seven minutes left. But Delaware answered again, hitting five free throws over the next two minutes to extend the lead back to double figures.

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