City of Basketball Love

Mitchell Northam (@primetimeMitch)

DOVER, Del. – Despite trailing by six points at halftime and 13 points early in the second half, Delaware was able to overcome their intrastate rival and start the season off with a 62-56 win. Marvin King-Davis led the way for the Blue Hens with 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Box Score

At First…

The Blue Hens quickly jumped out to an 8-0 lead, but the Hornets took advantage of their rival’s turnovers and got back in the game by connecting on 3-pointers. The Hornets shot 7-of-18 from behind the arc in the first half and ended it ahead of the Blue Hens 37-31. Devin Morgan - the Hornets’ freshman guard from Chester, Virginia - led them in scoring in the opening half with 10 points in 15 minutes of play.

Turning Point…

As ugly as the first half was for the Blue Hens, the second half was far worse for the Hornets. In the final 13 minutes and 30 seconds of the game, the Hornets scored just four points. Their defense lacked as well as the Blue Hens erased a 13-point deficit to win by six points.

Shining Stars…

King-Davis led the Blue Hens in scoring and rebounding but also played solid defense against the Hornets. Cazmon Hayes added 12 points and eight rebounds for the Blue Hens.

Noteworthy Numbers…

The first half was abysmal for the Blue Hens. At the end of it, they nearly had more turnovers, nine, than field goals made, 10. As the Hornets held a six-point lead at the end of that half, they did so without attempting a single free throw.

Size played a big role in this game as the Blue Hens out-rebounded the Hornets by a 44-29 margin.

The Blue Hens attempted 23 free throws, making 16 of them, while the Hornets missed both of their two shots from the charity stripe.

Up Next…

Delaware at Iona (Nov. 20, 7 p.m.)

Penn at Delaware State (Nov. 17, 7 p.m.)