Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

NEWARK, DE -- Senior Holly Mahan hit two key three-pointers in the final three minutes to keep Towson University in front and made a big defensive play to end the game as the Tigers thwarted an upset bid by the University of Delaware and defeated the Blue Hens 51-49 in a Colonial Athletic Association women's basketball battle Thursday night at the Bob Carpenter Center.

The Blue Hens (7-19, 6-8 CAA), who lost for just the fourth time in 14 meetings vs. long-time rival Towson at the BCC, rallied back from six points down in the final 30 seconds and had possession in the final seconds but couldn't pull out the win over the fourth place Tigers (17-8, 9-5 CAA).

Kyle DeHaven led Delaware with 16 points and four assists while Vanessa Kabongo (at right) added 12 points and Tesia Harris added 10 markers. Sha’Ron Harrison and Ariene Jenkins each pulled down eight rebounds for the Blue Hens, who were hurt by 19 of 65 shooting from the field (29.2 percent).

Shanae Baker-Brice led Towson with 14 points, eight rebounds, and six assists while Mahan (six rebounds) and Dovile Miliauskaite each scored 12 points. Towson overcame 24 turnovers and a season-low point-total, nearly 12 points below its season average. The Tigers used sizzling 14 of 24 shooting from the field in the first half to break out to a 30-25 halftime lead.

"I really thought we gave a great effort tonight against a veteran basketball team and just came up a little short," said Delaware head coach Tina Martin. "We definitely have been playing better lately and we've executed better offensively over the last week."

Miliauskaite scored all 12 of her points in a closely-contested first half as the Tigers took a 30-25 lead into intermission. Delaware regained the lead early in the second half as Kabongo hit two straight jumpers to give the Hens a 33-32 advantage with 15:37 remaining.

Towson then reeled off 10 straight points, holding Delaware scoreless for nearly six minutes, to take a 42-33 lead with 10:24 left. But the Blue Hens stayed close and trailed by just two points before Mahan hit her first three-pointer with 2:59 left for a five-point TU lead. Kabongo and Harris followed with jumpers for Delaware to cut the lead to 45-44, but Mahan nailed another three-pointer with 49 seconds left and Baker-Brice drained two free throws for a seemingly safe 50-44 lead with 27 seconds left.

Delaware refused to give in and battled to the end as Harris hit a three-pointer to cut the lead to 50-47. Baker-Brice hit one of two free throws with 13 seconds left for a 51-47 Towson lead before DeHaven countered with two free throws of her own with four seconds left to cut the margin to 51-49. Baker-Brice missed the front end of a one and one with three seconds left and Jenkins rebounded, giving Delaware one last chance. Harris inbounded the ball at mid-court with 1.9 seconds left, but her short pass to DeHaven was broken up by Mahan just before the final buzzer sounded.

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