Blue Hens Put Five Players in Double Figures as Delaware Men's Basketball Posts 75-64 Win at William & Mary
January 7, 2012
• Boxscore
File Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. -- All five Blue Hen starters reached double figures as the University of Delaware men’s basketball team used a balanced effort to post a 75-64 Colonial Athletic Association victory over William & Mary Saturday afternoon at Kaplan Arena.
The Blue Hens, who won their second consecutive game, improved to 7-7 overall and moved into a tie for second place in the conference standings with a 3-1 league mark. This season marks just the fourth time in Delaware’s 11 seasons in the CAA that the Blue Hens have started league play 3-1 or better. The Tribe, which lost for the fifth time in six games, fell to 3-13 overall and 1-3 in the conference.
Delaware freshman Kyle Anderson (at right) led the Blue Hens with 17 points, as he scored a season-high 17 points for the second straight contest. Sophomore Devon Saddler, the second leading scorer in the conference and 19th in Division I by averaging 19.7 points per game, added 15 for Delaware, while junior Josh Brinkley reached season-highs with 14 points and nine rebounds.
Junior Jamelle Hagins recorded his ninth double-double of the season with 13 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, while freshman Khalid Lewis reached double figures for the third time this season by contributing 11 points.
William & Mary freshman Marcus Thornton, the Tribe’s leading scorer at 11.6 points per game, led the squad with 19 points but went just 6 of 17 from the field. Preseason first team All-CAA selection Quinn McDowell added 13 points for William & Mary, while Matt Rum chipped in nine points and six rebounds.
Delaware, which improved to 9-4 all-time in Williamsburg and won its third straight game over the Tribe, shot 47.1 percent from the field (24 of 51) and held a 39-29 rebounding advantage.
“Offensively we executed really well today, and defensively we made a couple adjustments so we were pretty effective on that end of the floor as well,” said Delaware sixth-year head coach Monté Ross. “We thought our big guys could guard their perimeter players and our guards could guard their post players, and we did a nice job in both areas. This team is really starting to grow as a program, and if we can continue to improve, we should be OK this season.”
The Blue Hens opened the game on fire by hitting seven of their first nine shots from the field, taking an early 14-5 lead on a reverse layup by Hagins four and a half minutes into the contest. UD continued to dominate early, as a three-pointer and a 20-foot jumper from Anderson on consecutive possessions increased the Delaware advantage to 21-9 and forced a Tribe timeout at the 12:19 mark of the first half.
The Blue Hens were still up 12 a minute later, but the Tribe exploded for 12 straight points to knot the contest at 23-23 on a Julian Boatner three-pointer with seven minutes on the clock.
However Delaware answered right back with a 12-point run of its own, going back up double figures at 35-23 with 1:46 to play. Anderson scored four early points in the run, and after three free throws by Saddler, Lewis capped the spurt with a transition layup. Thornton converted a three-point play and Boatner drained a three-pointer to cut the UD lead in half, before a baseline leaner by Saddler in the final minute gave the Blue Hens a 37-29 lead at the break.
Delaware shot 53.6 percent in the opening period, hitting 15 of 28 shots from the field, while limiting the Tribe to just 39.3 percent from the floor during the first half.
William & Mary opened the second period with five consecutive points, and a McDowell three-pointer cut the UD lead to 41-37 with 15:35 remaining. Delaware would maintain the advantage, though, as a triple from the left wing by Anderson and a tough leaner off the glass by Saddler extended the Blue Hens’ margin to 52-40 with 12 minutes to play.
The Tribe countered with a 9-3 spurt, closing within 55-49 with 8:53 left after four straight points by McDowell, while a free throw by Tim Rusthoven made it a 57-52 game with 6:19 on the clock.
However Brinkley scored inside, and after Hagins and Brinkley each hit one of two free throws, Anderson buried a three-pointer to increase the Blue Hen lead to 64-52 at the 4:33 mark..
William & Mary would not go away as the Tribe closed within 66-60 following a Kendrix Brown three-pointer, but Lewis converted a three-point play with 1:28 left and the Blue Hens went 6 of 6 from the foul line the rest of the way to seal the victory.
The Blue Hens, who play four of their next five games at the Bob Carpenter Center where they are 5-1 this season, host Old Dominion Wednesday at 7 p.m.
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