Delaware Starts Strong, But Second-Seeded Villanova Prevails in NCAA First Round

Delaware Starts Strong, But Second-Seeded Villanova Prevails in NCAA First Round

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Miles McQuiggan

PITTSBURGH, Pa. (March 18, 2022) – The Delaware men’s basketball team led for the majority of the first half, but second-seeded Villanova won a battle from the three-point line to end the Blue Hens’ season in the NCAA First Round at PPG Paints Arena with an 80-60 defeat.
 
CAA Rookie of the Year and CAA Championship Most Outstanding Player Jyare Davis led Delaware with 17 points and six rebounds, while Andrew Carr added 13 points.
 
Delaware led by as much as seven in the first half with sights on matching No. 15 seed magic from elsewhere in the bracket, but a 15-2 Villanova run to close the half put the Wildcats in front, 35-25, at the break. Davis led Delaware with eight points in the opening half, while Kevin Anderson added seven. The Blue Hens were 11-of-20 on two-pointers in the opening 20 minutes but limited to 1-of-10 from distance.
 
Villanova scored the first eight points out of the locker room to open its advantage to 43-25 and led by at least 15 points the rest of the way. Delaware went 8-for-10 from inside the arc in the second half, but Villanova held the Blue Hens to 2-of-10 from three.
 
The Wildcats shot 52% to the Blue Hens’ 40% in the contest and went 13-of-28 (46.4%) from three while outrebounding Delaware, 33-24. Delaware committed just 10 turnovers in the contest, one fewer than Villanova’s 11.
 
Delaware completes its season at 22-13 after a three-game run to its first CAA title since 2014.
 
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