Transfer Owens helps Blue Hens rally past Delaware State, earn Ingelsby milestone

Waterman’s Hornets give Blue Hens all they’ll deal with earlier than Delaware takes cost down the stretch in First State matchup

L.J. Owens was recruited to play basketball at Delaware twice and went elsewhere.

On their third strive, Delaware coaches satisfied Owens to come back as a graduate switch this 12 months, and the 6-foot-3 guard’s contributions continued to make a distinction Wednesday night time.

The Blue Hens had all they might deal with of their intra-state duel with Delaware State. The sport, Delaware gamers would say later, had the texture of a convention matchup due to the willpower and depth being put forth.

However Delaware, which trailed by three at halftime and by 5 with 15½ minutes left, took cost down the stretch for a 77-69 win in entrance of two,260.

GAME STATS: Delaware 77, Delaware State 69

The Blue Hens now lead 17-5 within the sequence.

“We made the performs we wanted to win,” mentioned Martin Ingelsby, who received his a centesimal recreation as UD coach and obtained postgame video congratulations from his former Notre Dame coach Mike Brey, who received 99 at Delaware from 1995-2000.

Jameer Nelson Jr., had a lot to do with that, scoring 26 factors and incomes recreation MVP honors whereas heeding Ingelsby’s halftime cost to guide higher from his point-guard spot.

Owens equaled the career-high 21 factors he’d scored as a UMBC participant, highlighted by 5-for-7 purpose on 3-pointers.

“It’s undoubtedly tremendous invaluable to have him,” Nelson mentioned of Owens. “I don’t assume I’ve recognized anyone as artful. He can shoot from any angle, off steadiness. It’s simply nice to have a man like that.”

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Owens performed as a freshman at CAA rival William & Mary earlier than transferring to UMBC, the place he was third-team All-America East final 12 months. For every of these groups, he performed video games at Delaware.

“I’m getting comfy recreation by recreation,” mentioned Owens, who has scored in double figures six straight video games.

It was familiarity with the teaching employees, which had wooed him initially out of the Severn Faculty in Annapolis, Maryland, that led him to Delaware.

UD’s Ingelsby: ‘They’d us on our heels’

Delaware head coach Martin Ingelsby mentioned his workforce confronted a decent “convention battle” sort of recreation in an in-state rivalry win towards Delaware State Wednesday in Newark.

William Bretzger, Delaware Information Journal

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“He saved us within the recreation and I feel he’s getting comfy as that third scorer behind these two guys [Nelson and Jyare Davis],” Ingelsby mentioned, “and we want him to proceed to open issues up and stretch the ground.”

Delaware improved to 5-4.

Delaware State (1-8) is in its second season beneath Stan Waterman, the previous Blue Hens level guard who was employed in June of 2021 after 30 seasons at Sanford Faculty, which he steered to eight state titles. The Hornets had been 2-25 final 12 months and winless within the MEAC, dropping 10 video games by single digits.

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Waterman feels he has a much-improved roster this 12 months and it confirmed Wednesday.

“We had a pleasant recreation plan within the first half and we executed our recreation plan fairly effectively,” Waterman mentioned. “I feel the distinction was down the stretch they executed a lot better, made some changes and obtained the photographs they wished and we didn’t execute as effectively.

“However we’re studying, we’re getting higher, we’re rising. It’s not exhibiting when it comes to wins proper now . . . We’re attempting to organize them for the MEAC.”

Former Sanford guard Corey Perkins led the Hornets with 18 factors.

Davis, the previous Sanford All-Stater for Waterman, had 11 factors and a game-high six assists for Delaware as he was topic to double-teaming. Christian Ray provided 11 factors and 10 rebounds for the Hens.

“That’s a testomony to Stan and to DelState,” Ingelsby mentioned of the shut recreation. “They performed onerous, they performed effectively, had us on our heels.”

Have an concept for a compelling native sports activities story or is there a problem that wants public scrutiny? Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and observe on Twitter @kevintresolini. Help native journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com