By Andy Walter

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Delaware started the season voted to be the best men’s basketball team in the CAA this winter.

Those lofty expectations seemed to fade as the season went on, though.

But suddenly — perhaps unexpectedly — the Blue Hens will indeed end their season playing for the right to be officially called the Colonial’s best team.

Facing a Towson team it had already lost to twice this season, fifth-seeded Delaware stunned the No. 1 Tigers, 69-56, in the CAA Tournament semifinals at the D.C. Entertainment and Sports Arena on Monday night.

The Hens (21-12) now get the chance to do something really special when they take on No. 2 UNCW in the CAA championship game on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in D.C. (CBS Sports Network).

Delaware will be trying to earn just the program’s sixth NCAA Tournament bid and its first since 2014. It will mark only the seventh time the Hens have played in a league championship game.

“Our guys were ready to play tonight,” said UD coach Martin Ingelsby. “Obviously we lost two tough games to them during the regular season. I’m really proud of these guys.

“We needed to be a tougher basketball team. For two nights, we’ve kept teams in the 50s on the defensive end. They had great belief in each other. And, on the offensive end, we were able to get into a good flow with multiple weapons. We were able to execute at key times.”

“We’re playing tough,” agreed senior guard Kevin Anderson. “We’re showing real toughness right now. We’re not letting up.

“When we’re getting leads, we’re not just settling down and slowing up like we usually do. We’re keeping our foot on their necks and I feel like that’s really helping us.”

Just like in its quarterfinal win over Drexel on Sunday, Delaware led from almost start to finish against the Tigers (25-8), who had won 11 of their last 12 games. The Hens were in front for 36:43 of the contest.

But, after Delaware held as much as a 16-point advantage in the first half, Towson cut that lead to seven by halftime.

And when Polytech High grad Juwan Gray scored back-to-back baskets for the Tigers, each one pulled Towson within two points early in the second half. The Tigers were still hanging around at 48-44 with 9:03 left.

That’s when first Anderson and then Ebby Asamoah buried back-to-back threes to quickly stretch Delaware’s lead to 54-44 with 8:10 remaining.

Towson never got within range of the Hens again. Delaware finally sank six straight foul shots in the last minute to seal it.

During timeouts down the stretch, Ingelsby said it was his veteran players that sometimes did the most talking.

“They were saying the things I want to say to them,” said Ingelsby. “I think that obviously gives me great confidence in their ability to stay poised in those moments.

“We dug in and held a really good basketball team to 56 points. We were able to methodically build that lead.”

The Hens were all smiles as they left the court.

Delaware used only eight players on Monday, with seven playing the bulk of the minutes. All of them seemed to make big plays.

Anderson (17 points, four assists), Jyare Davis (14 points, eight rebounds), Dylan Painter (12 points) and Jameer Nelson, Jr. (11 points) all scored in double figures.

Defensively, the Hens limited Towson to just 31 percent (18-of-58), including a mere 4-of-23 shooting from three-point range.

The moment, however, was especially sweet for seniors Anderson, Painter and Ryan Allen, who all returned this season because they wanted to try to win a title. Anderson went 4-for-6 from three-point range.

“They had great belief in what we do,” Ingelsby said about the seniors. “We were very excited to have these guys come back to kind of finish what we started. I love these guys. I love what they bring to the table.

“They came back to put ourselves in a position that we’re in right now. These guys are having a lot of fun, they’re enjoying each other. It was a heck of a celebration in the locker room. I’m just really proud of how we’re playing.”

Painter, who had played only sparingly in the last month because of an ankle injury, came up big off the bench after Davis got in foul trouble.

"The last month has been pretty tough,” said Painter. “I’ve never dealt with an injury in my career. ... When we got down here, I felt as good as I have since it happened.

“We knew with probably 40 seconds left, when they stopped fouling, we were like, ‘This is it, we’re going to the championship.’ We’ll celebrate it for a little bit but then we’ll get go re-locked in for tomorrow.”

The 6-foot-10 Painter, though, admitted Monday’s victory was special “especially beating these guys, who kind of kicked our butts. It feels good.”

Delaware had lost in the CAA semifinals in three of the last five seasons before Monday.

“We just felt like we were stuck at a wall,” said Anderson. “Just to make it to the championship game, I’m happy. But the job’s not done.”

Free throws

UNCW edged Charleston, 60-57,, in the second semifinal ... Delaware is 5-2 in conference title games. ... The Hens are 3-0 vs. Towson in the CAA tourney ... Gray finished with four points and four rebounds. He and his Towson teammates will finish his college career in the NIT as the CAA regular-season champion.

Follow Andy Walter on Twitter at @DSNSports.