By Andy Walter

NEWARK — Right now, there’s more teams ahead of Delaware in the CAA men’s basketball standings than there are behind it.

But there’s still time for the Blue Hens to change that.

On Monday night, Delaware took one positive step, ending a three-game losing streak and beating a Stony Brook squad, 71-60, that was just ahead of it in the league standings.

The Hens (5-9 CAA, 13-14 overall) entered the game in a five-way tie for eighth place in the 13-team CAA.

“That was my message to our guys at shoot-around today,” said Delaware coach Martin Ingelsby. “I said, ‘These guys are ahead of us in the standings. This is an important game for us.’ I think they were motivated by that.”

Whatever the reason, the Hens never trailed on Monday, going up by as many as 20 points in the second half.

The Seawolves (5-9 CAA, 9-18 overall) did whittle that advantage down to just five points with 1:16 remaining. Delaware, though, made all six of its foul shots in the final 1:14 to win going away.

What the Hens did better than anything was hit some outside shots. Delaware was 8-of-16 from three-point range in the first half before making a season-high 11 threes in the contest.

“We’ve got too many good shooters on this team,” said guard Jameer Nelson, Jr., who netted a game-high 23 points. “They were going to fall at some point. There was no time like right now.”

Nelson, Jr. and Ebby Asamoah (12 points) were a combined 8-of-16 from beyond the arc. Christian Ray (13) and Jyare Davis (12) gave Delaware four players scoring in double figures.

Davis was back in the starting lineup after missing the Hens’ loss to Drexel on Wednesday with a wrist injury.

Four Hens hit at least one three-pointer.

“I thought we did a good job just sharing the basketball,” said Ingelsby. “It takes pressure of you at the offensive end when some of those are going in.

“We do have some weapons. I think the law of averages — the basketball gods — swings in our favor a little bit when we made some shots.”

With four games remaining, defending CAA champion Delaware still has a lot of work to do if it wants to finish in the top half of the conference standings. Three of those four contests are on the road.

“I feel like the game just slipped away from us,” said Nelson, Jr. “It’s crazy that January and February we’ve been having. We’ve just got to take it day by day and keep our heads up.”

Free throws

L.J. Owens (wrist) was the only starter the Hens were missing on Monday. But they were without reserves Nigel Shadd (ankle) and Logan Curtis (hip), leaving them with nine players in uniform. ... Delaware next plays on Thursday night at Towson before playing its home finale on Saturday against UNC-Wilmington at 4 p.m.

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