By Andy Walter

This arena is where Jyare Davis became a college basketball star last March.

Just a freshman, the forward was named MVP of the CAA Tournament after helping Delaware win the league title.

Davis hasn’t forgotten those three days at the D.C. Entertainment & Sports Arena.

“Coming back into the arena today, it was definitely very exciting,” Davis said late Saturday night. “I definitely think back to what we did last year all the time.”

While there was nothing easy about it, Davis and the sixth-seeded Hens found a way to keep their dream of back-to-back championships alive with a gritty opening victory in the CAA tourney.

Delaware squandered a double-digit lead but out-lasted stubborn Northeastern, the No. 11 seed, in a 77-74 overtime victory in a first-round contest.

The Hens will have to find a way to physically recover in time to face No. 3 Towson at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday in the CAA quarterfinals. The two teams split a pair of games during the regular season.

Saturday’s win took 28 points from Jameer Nelson, Jr. and 21 from Davis, who also grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds.

“I’m really, really proud of our group,” said UD coach Martin Ingelsby, whose team had split two games with Northeastern this winter. “I knew it was going to be a heck of a battle. We played two great games against them.

“Our resiliency to persevere through a tough end of regulation. ... it’s always nice to get the first one in a tournament like this.”

Delaware looked like it might make its fourth straight CAA tourney win easier when it opened up a 12-point advantage, 53-41, with 16:11 remaining in regulation. Nelson, Jr. was intentionally fouled as he scored on a breakaway, sank both foul shots and then hit two more free throws when he was fouled on the ensuing possession.

But the Huskies made their run, eventually closing within one on five different occassions in the final nine minutes.

Finally, after a big steal by Davis, Christian Ray (11 points) hit one of two foul shots to give the Hens a 72-69 lead with eight seconds remaining.

After a timeout, Delaware planned to foul Northeastern before it could attempt a three. But Ebby Asamoah was a little late when he fouled the Huskies’ Jahmyl Telfort, who was ruled to be in the act of shooting.

Telfort sank all three foul shots to tie the game at 72-72 and force OT.

“We’re a big believer in fouling up three,” Ingelsby said about the foul. “That’s kind of what we do, it’s what we practice in game situations. It was just a tough bang-bang play. We wanted to foul just over half court. I think Telfort got one or two more dribbles. It put Asamoah in a tough spot.

“Give him (Telfort) credit for stepping up and hitting all three.”

Neither team could do much in overtime. The Hens were just 1-of-8 from the floor in OT with a turnover while the Huskies were 1-of-4 with five turnovers.

Nelson, Jr. scored all five UD points in overtime, on a field goal and 3-of-4 shooting from the foul line. The last two of those free throws came with just 4.9 seconds remaining.

Delaware then hung on as a Telfort three-pointer rimmed out before the final buzzer. Davis thought last year’s experience came in handy on Saturday.

“I think it’s definitely very valuable,” he said. “We kind of understand the peaks and valleys of a basketball game. Last year when we came and won it, it’s not as if we just blew everybody out. They were very competitive games.

“I think that definitely prepared us for this year — to be prepared for tough games.”

For Davis, who has been bothered by a knee injury for the past month or so, his 21-point total was the most he’s scored since Jan. 21. Indeed he looked more like the player who really came into his own in last year’s tourney run.

“It was definitely good to have a game that I could look at and kind of be excited about what I was able to do with my team,” he said.

“I’ve talked with Jy lately about how he can impact the game on both ends of the floor,” said Ingelsby, referring to Davis’ 14 rebounds. “I’m really proud of him. Obviously we’re going to need that prescence on the backboard going forward.”

Sports editor Andy Walter can be reached at walter@iniusa.org. Follow on Twitter at @DSNSports.