Tresolini: Delaware lacks killer instinct as Towson rallies for basketball victory

Offered a critical description of his basketball team’s temperament on Saturday night, coach Martin Ingelsby, to his credit, did not flinch.

The University of Delaware had just exhibited a flaw that has become too commonplace. It cost the Blue Hens dearly in a 64-63 loss to Towson at the Carpenter Center.

Delaware lacks killer instinct, in this case the ability to finish off a foe that may be teetering.

It was clear in a game where the Blue Hens had a chance to continue building momentum toward the Colonial Athletic Association season’s halfway mark but frittered it away.

“I think that’s where our group’s gotta be a little better,” Ingelsby said, “and me helping us execute on the offensive end and continue to fight.

“Let’s try to build this lead instead of just hold on and hope and wait. That’s something we’ve gotta work on and be better.”

The Blue Hens, who began the night alone in second place in the CAA, led by 18 late in the first half and by 15 at halftime against the CAA’s last-place team.

But 20 solid minutes don’t produce college basketball victories. You usually need about 40, and Delaware couldn’t put away the Tigers, who shot 69 percent in the second half to Delaware’s 32 percent, including 1-for-10 on 3-pointers.

“We didn’t dig in like we needed to [defensively],” Ingelsby said.

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Towson took its first lead since the opening minutes with 6:35 left, only to see Delaware move back ahead. Towson didn’t regain the lead again 64-63 until 23 seconds remained. Ryan Allen then missed two free throws with 1.1 seconds left for Delaware.

But that’s not why the Hens lost.

They lost because they didn’t put some distance on the Tigers earlier, and Thursday’s 76-69 win over James Madison should have been an adequate lesson.

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It was eerily similar, as Delaware built a quick double-digit lead and was up by 12 at halftime. JMU pulled within three with 2:31 left but Delaware thwarted that rally.

This time Delaware couldn’t curb the comeback.

“We couldn’t compete for 40 minutes,” said senior guard Darian Bryant. “We had a dynamite first half. Couldn’t ask for a better first half from all of us, and the second half we came out lackadaisical and they jumped on us early.”

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Delaware, of course, has not earned the right to take a half-hearted approach.

In fact, two nonconference losses on their home court – to Navy (now 6-11) and Delaware State (now 3-15) – left the Hens lamenting having taken victory for granted. Failing to put away Towson falls into the same category.

Delaware (13-8 overall, 5-3 CAA), en route to its first winning record in five years, is still well positioned in third place in the CAA, having slipped behind Northeastern Saturday. First-place Hofstra (17-3, 7-0) solidified its top spot by drubbing defending CAA champion Charleston 86-72 in Hempstead.

But Saturday was a major opportunity missed. Towson (6-14, 2-5) has won seven in a row over Delaware, the longest Tigers’ winning streak in a rivalry covering 81 games dating back to 1970.

“We had a chance to put ‘em away, make a statement win, not just for tonight but for the league, solidify that second place,” Bryant said, “but we didn’t get it so it’s on to the next one and what we can learn from that loss moving forward.”

Ironically, the next one happens to be Saturday at home against Drexel, and the Blue Hens won’t forget the last one.

Last February in Philadelphia, Drexel trailed by 34 points in the first half but rallied to down Delaware 85-83. It was the biggest comeback in NCAA Division I history.

“We’ve gotta dig in and fight,” Ingelsby said. “We didn’t have enough of that fight on the defensive end. That’s an area we gotta get better at. We gotta get better when we have a lead to be able to sustain a lead and keep a lead. Sometimes you need some shots to go in as well.”

Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @kevintresolini.