By Andy Walter

NEWARK — Delaware started the season as the pick to win the CAA this winter.

But the Blue Hens finished the regular season not even looking like a league contender.

Now Delaware will get one last chance to redeem itself.

The fifth-seeded Hens (10-8 CAA, 19-12 overall) take on No. 4 Drexel (10-8 CAA, 15-13 overall) in the CAA Tournament quarterfinals on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

The nine-team tourney is being played at Washington, D.C.’s Sports & Entertainment Arena.

Delaware, which is trying to earn the program’s first NCAA Tournament berth since 2014, goes to D.C. stuck in a three-game losing streak.

“It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” said UD coach Martin Ingelsby. “This group is really excited to be able to go down and compete in D.C.

“You have highs and lows in a season and we’re dealing with a low moment at the end of the season. We don’t want to reinvent the wheel but I do think we have to be able to make some tweaks and changes that can help us be ready to compete on Sunday.

“I think you evaluate everything after losing three games in a row,” he added.

The Hens have evolved during the season, going from a team built around its three top seniors to a squad depending more on its younger players.

Sophomore guard Jameer Nelson Jr. earned second-team All-CAA honors on Friday with freshman Jyare Davis named the league’s Rookie of the Year.

“He has kind of become our go-to guy lately, let’s be honest,” Ingelsby said about Davis. “Really our last three games, our best offense was throw the ball inside to Jyare Davis and let him score and make good decisions around the basket.”

If Delaware is going to do anything in the tourney, though, it is probably going to need big performances from seniors Kevin Anderson, Ryan Allen and Dylan Painter, who has been limited by an ankle injury for several weeks.

The Hens also have to hope that the CAA’s parity continues to play out in the tourney.

“I think anybody can win this thing down in D.C.” said Ingelsby. “I think you’re going to have eight teams that are going to be extremely hungry on Sunday, getting after it. Anything can happen.”

DelTech men win title

Three former Henlopen Conference players are members of the Delaware Tech men’s basketball team that won the NJCAA Region 19 title.

The Hawks captured the crown with an 86-78 victory over Raritan Valley last weekend.

The title puts DelTech in the NJCAA East A & B District Championship Tournament which starts today at Niagara County Community College in Sanborn, N.Y. The Hawks are the No. 4 seed, and play top-seeded Niagara at 1 p.m.

Caesar Rodney High grad Syed Myles, who led the team in scoring all season, had 23 points, eight rebounds, and six assists in the championship game.

Playing without second-leading scorer Izaiah Credle (Smyrna) in the tournament, another former Eagle, Cole Matthews, helped pick up the slack. The freshman scored 11 points in a win over Morris and recorded nine points and seven rebounds against Raritan.

The region title represented a big turnaround from the 2018-19 season when DelTech finished 0-27.

“It’s outstanding, and why it feels so good is because these guys have been through a heck of a lot,” said coach Richard Rago. “I felt so good for them to not only be in the position to play for a championship, but to win it. Our guys have a lot of heart.”

Notes

Polytech High grad Juwan Gray is averaging 6.5 points and 4.0 rebounds for the Towson men’s basketball team that will be the top seed in the CAA tourney. ... Delaware is slated to open its first football spring practice under coach Ryan Carty today. ... The Blue Hens have added a pair of kickers in Cardinal Newman (Fla.)’s Andrew MacMillian and Garrett Bennion from Ashburn, Va. ... The eighth-seeded Delaware State men’s basketball team plays in the MEAC Tournament quarterfinals on Wednesday at 6 p.m. against No. 1 Norfolk State in the Norfolk Scope Arena. ... The Hornet women start the day on Wednesday against top-seeded Howard at noon. ... Lake Forest High grad Brooke Glanden is batting .314 with a team-high 14 RBI and five homers for the Delaware softball team.

Follow Andy Walter on Twitter at @DSNSports.