Delaware's weaknesses exposed as CAA basketball tourney starts, ends

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This time, Delaware's quest for a Colonial Athletic Association Men's Basketball Tournament title ended where it started last year.

There will be no March miracle in 2023.

The Blue Hens were dominated from the start, falling behind by 20 points in the first nine minutes at the Entertainment & Sports Arena. That was an unshakable foundation upon which Towson constructed a thorough 86-60 quarterfinal victory.

BOX SCORE: Towson 86, Delaware 60

Undermanned and overmatched, Delaware couldn't cope with the Tigers' offensive firepower and superior talent, especially in the post.

Delaware closed a 17-16 season while Towson moved into Monday night's semifinals against Charleston.

"Their 2-point shooting for the game was at an elite level," Delaware coach Martin Ingelsby said. "I just don't think our defense and toughness and positioning was where it needed to be and they were getting layups and stuff around the basket."

Towson avenges last year's upset loss

No. 6-seeded Delaware had gone to overtime Saturday night to oust No. 11 Northeastern 77-74. No. 3 Towson (21-11) was enjoying a valuable bye into the quarterfinals, which is now the prize for top-four finishers in the expanded 13-team CAA.

As the fifth seed last year, Delaware had stunned the No. 1-seeded Tigers 69-56 in the semifinals after a quarterfinal win over Drexel during its surprise drive to the title. It concluded the next night in a 59-55 win over UNC-Wilmington.

"Our guys were ready to play tonight and we defended and rebounded at a high level," Towson coach Pat Skerry said.

Equally important, he added, were 19 assists and 15-for-17 aim in the first half near the rim.

"Towson hates Delaware so any time you can beat a rival, especially in the playoffs, it makes it even better," said Towson guard Nicolas Timberlake after scoring a game-high 19 points.

Dominant from the start

Towson ran out to a 23-3 lead while scoring on 10 straight possessions, led by as many as 27 in the first half and owned a 46-20 halftime advantage. The Tigers shot 66.7% in the first half.

Delaware had beaten Towson 72-59 when the teams met in Newark on Jan. 11, when All-CAA standouts Jameer Nelson Jr. was out for Delaware and Cam Holden was sidelined for Towson. But the Tigers used prolific 3-point shooting – including 12-for-12 second-half aim behind the arc — to prevail 95-72 at Towson Feb. 16.

CAA TOURNEY BRACKET: Blue Hens seeded 6th

While building its big first-half lead though, Towson needed just three 3-pointers, getting a lot of its points from close range while outrebounding Delaware 22-10. Towson's lead grew to 34 points in the second half.

Nelson scored 16 points and Christian Ray had 13 for Delaware.

"Shots not falling early. That was a killer," Nelson said, as Delaware started 1-for-10 from the field.

Blue Hens' shortcomings exposed

It was clearly evident after such a lopsided loss what Delaware had to do to put itself back in championship contention.

"We've gotta have more talent," Ingelsby said. "I think that's pretty obvious. They have a lot of men. We have some youth at times that's hurt us against the upper-echelon teams in this league."

Delaware has two available scholarships, though that could change. No incoming high school recruits have been signed.

"We're going to be very aggressive in the portal," Ingelsby said, "and we have a lot to sell to a prospective student-athlete in the portal with the pieces that we have returning, the expectations heading into next year with what's returning."

What’s next for Blue Hens?

In Nelson and forward Jyare Davis, Delaware has two of the CAA’s best players, as their 2023 first- and third-team All-CAA honors indicate. Nelson’s continued development as an all-around player was the highlight of the season for the Blue Hens and bodes well for the next year.

CAA WOMEN'S BRACKET: Delaware opens vs. Hampton

Christian Ray, the only Blue Hen to play in every game, brought valuable diligence, determination and know-how to the floor that make him an important all-around contributor.

The task for the Blue Hens is to build a deeper, better-balanced roster around those three. Everyone else presently on the UD roster, so far, has the look of a role player, though that can certainly change if returning veterans such as Gianmarco Arletti, Johnny McCoy, Ebby Asamoah and Logan Curtis can improve their games.

Freshman guard Cavan Reilly showed some offensive flashes. Gabe Moss, the 6-8, 218-pound freshman who missed the season with a knee injury suffered late in his senior high school year, is expected to give the Hens much-needed physical presence in the post, where freshman Houston Emory also showed potential in limited duty. Promising guard Wes Peterson, who missed the season with a knee injury suffered in the opener, will also be a welcomed re-addition.

"The one missing piece for us this year was the front line. We didn't have the size, the physicality, maybe the experience to compete with the top three teams in the league," Ingelsby said. " … We're going to be very aggressive trying to improve this roster."

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This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware Blue Hens face Towson in CAA men's basketball tournament