Buzzer-beater gives Hens first road CAA win since 2008

TOWSON, Md. — Delaware needed not one, but two buzzer-beaters to end its 23-game road losing streak against CAA opponents.

Devon Saddler drained a 3-pointer from the right wing as the final horn sounded to give the Hens a 66-63 victory over Towson Saturday afternoon. The last time Delaware won a CAA road game was Feb. 13, 2008 at Georgia State. The win gets the Hens back to a .500 record both overall and in the CAA (8-8, 3-3).

"He's a 19-year-old that understands the moment, understands what's needed, and he just went and willed us to a victory which was terrific," Head Coach Monte Ross said of his freshman guard.

The winning play was actually designed for senior shooting guard Jawan Carter to take the final shot.

The Hens, inbounding with 23 seconds left, barely got the ball in bounds to Jamelle Hagins, who immediately was trapped and passed back to the inbounder, D.J. Boney. Boney was finally able to work the ball to Saddler who dribbled at the top of the key, letting the clock wind down.

With five seconds remaining, Saddler made his move. He dumped the ball off to Carter, coming around a staggered screen by the 3-point line. Carter was doubled-teamed instantly, leaving Saddler wide-open on the wing. Carter did not hesitate, making the pass back to Saddler for the game-winner.

"I knew I was going to be open because they were going to double-team him," Saddler said. "He told me to just have my feet, my hand ready to shoot the ball."

Delaware trailed by 9 points with six and a half minutes left. Saddler scored 11 of his 13 points during this comeback.

"The first half, I had two fouls, so I wasn't really trying to be aggressive," he said. "The second half, once I got back in, coach told me, ‘Just go. It's time to go." So we kept running the high ball screen, and I just kept attacking their bigs."

While Saddler's layups and free throws brought the Hens back into the game, it was Carter who tied it all up. Delaware trailed by 3, when Carter stole an entry pass into the post by Isiah Philmore and pushed the ball up to Saddler on the break.

Saddler stopped, turned and gave the ball back to Carter who launched a 3-pointer well behind the 3-point line, finding nothing but net and tying the game 61-61 with just over two minutes left.

A pair of free throws by Rashawn Polk nudged the Tigers ahead, but Carter equalized on the next possession. He blew by his defender on the drive and managed to hit the ball off the glass for a layup in traffic.

Carter led the Hens with a game-high 19 points. He shot four of five from beyond the arc and moved into ninth place on Delaware's all-time career scoring list with 1,313 points.

"It's more of a bigger win cause we lost our last two conference games," Carter said about ending the CAA road losing streak. "We just needed a win, home or away."

Saddler was not the only player who provided some heroics. Sophomore guard Kelvin McNeil hit a buzzer-beater of his own to end the first half and give Delaware a 30-28 lead going into the break.

McNeil grabbed a rebound and flung a pray from the other free-throw line. His shot, from nearly 80 feet away, did not even hit the backboard as it sailed through the net.

"Glad it went in, as you can see it helped," McNeil said smiling and pointing at the final score.

He finished with seven points and four rebounds off the bench. Josh Brinkley also contributed 9 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks for the Hens' front court.

Delaware connected on 52 percent of its shots, while holding the Tigers to under 40 percent from the field. Brinkley, McNeil and the rest of the post players got stops when they needed to.

"We were scoring efficiently on offense, but we just had to put together some stops cause they were too," McNeil said. "We won this game on the defensive end."

The Hens will continue CAA play Wednesday at the Bob Carpenter Center when last-place Northeastern comes to Newark. The win against Towson on Saturday ends a two game skid for the Hens who suffered two road loses to Drexel and UNC Wilmington earlier in the week and now sit eighth in the CAA.

"I think the bounce-back is more important," Ross said after Saturday's victory. "The reason we didn't win on the road last year is because we weren't good enough. We are a better team this year so we're more equipped."