Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

TOWSON, MD -- Forward Kandace Davis scored 16 points and guard Holly Mahan added 15 to help Towson thwart a late comeback bid by the University of Delaware in a 58-55 CAA women’s basketball decision on Thursday evening at the Towson Center Arena.

Freshman guard Vanessa Kabongo (at right) poured in a career-high 17 points on 8-for-15 shooting for the Blue Hens, who dropped their fifth straight in spite of a furious rally over the last eight minutes. Fellow freshman Ariene Jenkins added 13 points and seven rebounds.

Down 51-38 with 7:38 remaining, the Hens staged used a 15-4 surge to close the gap to two on a put-back by Jenkins with 56 ticks on the clock. But UD couldn’t get a key stop, as Mahan found space in the lane and hit an uncontested lay-in to double the Tigers’ edge to four with 30 seconds left. Kabongo answered with a jumper from the left wing on UD’s next trip down the floor, and the Hens fouled Davis with 6.6 seconds left.

Davis couldn’t ice the game for TU, making just one of two free throws to give Delaware a chance to tie.

Senior guard Kyle DeHaven raced downcourt and got herself open for a three-point try from the right wing, but her shot rolled off the rim as the buzzer sounded and Towson celebrated its Senior Night with its second win in a row.

"It's frustrating to end the regular season this way," said Delaware head coach Tina Martin after the setback, the Hens' ninth loss by eight or fewer points this season. "I thought the kids really gave a lot of effort. They executed well for the first time in a long time. We got a good look at the end, but it just wouldn't fall."

The lead changed hands seven times over the first 10 minutes of action, as Kabongo scored four early points to help put UD ahead 10-9 with 10:01 left in the first half. The Tigers pulled ahead with a 7-1 run over the next minute and a half, going up 16-11 on a layup by Davis. UD trimmed the deficit to a bucket on a Kabongo 10-footer with 3:13 left, but Towson extended the margin back to 28-21 on a free throw by forward Dovile Miliauskaite.

Trailing 28-21 with 1:57 left, the Hens netted six of the last eight points of the period – four of them by Benison – to close to within 30-27 at the halftime horn.

Kabongo poured in 10 first-half points on 5-of-8 shooting for the Hens, who shot a solid 44.4 percent in the period. Davis countered with 10 of her own for Towson, hitting five of her six field goal tries.

Towson opened the second half with an 11-4 surge, as five different players scored during the run. The Tigers added a 7-0 run midway through the half, highlighted by a deep three from Mahan, to take its biggest lead of the night at 51-38.

UD got seven points and four assists from sophomore guard Corinthia Benison, while freshman guard Tesia Harris chipped in with six points and Kyle DeHaven logged five points and five assists. The Hens shot 42.9 percent (24-for-56) for the game, holding Towson to 35-percent shooting and forcing 20 Tiger turnovers.

Delaware, which finished its regular season with a program-worst 7-23 record, returns to action on Thursday in the first round of the CAA Tournament. The Hens have secured the ninth seed and will face No. 8 UNC Wilmington at the Bob Carpenter Center.

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