PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — What’s better than having one team going to the Big Dance?

How about two.

The Delaware women’s basketball team joined the school’s men’s squad in the NCAA Tournament by holding off top-seeded Drexel, 63-59, to capture the Colonial Athletic Association Championship this afternoon.

It’s the first time both UD programs have made the NCAAs in the same year.

The two Blue Hen squads will gather in the Carpenter Center tonight to find out where they’re going in the NCAAs.

The men’s NCAA bracket is slated to be revealed starting at 6 p.m. with the women’s show beginning at 8 p.m.

Delaware’s win over Drexel capped off a two-year journey for the Blue Hen women.

Last year’s year, the Hens beat the Dragons twice in the regular season only to fall to them in the CAA title game. This winter, Delaware fell to Drexel twice only to top the Dragons on their home floor in the title game.

Sunday’s victory was only the Hens’ third over the Dragons in the last 17 meetings.

“I’m so proud,” UD coach Natasha Adair said during the post-game celebration. “We talked about this moment since last year and they have worked and worked and worked. And now we are champions.”

“We were in this together,” said senior Jasmine Dickey. “We’re a family. We stay together and we work hard, day in and day out. And we’re going to keep working because we’re not done yet.”

Dickey was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Performer after collecting 27 points and 18 rebounds in the title game.

The Hens never trailed in the game, going up as many as 17 points in the third quarter. But Delaware had to hang on after the Dragons closed within three in the closing seconds.

Drexel, which was 15-of-15 from the foul line at the time, missed two free throws — one intentionally — with 4.8 seconds left.J

ewel Smalls then got the rebound and sank one of two foul shots with two seconds remaining to seal the victory. Delaware’s players mobbed each off at midcourt after the game ended.