2022-23 DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL
"HORNETS" (1-7; 0-0 MEAC ) vs. DELAWARE " Blue Hens" (4-4; 0-0 CAA)
Wed. Dec. 7, 2022 - 7:00 pm
Newark, Del.  - Bob Carpenter Center - 5,000
Live Video: FloSports
Live Audio: HSRN.com
 
THE GAME 
Delaware State (1-7; 0-0 MEAC) takes on defending Colonial Athletic Association champion Delaware  In the Route 1 Rivalry Presented by DE529 Education Savings Plan. The Hornets have dropped their last six games, including a 75-49 home setback to Longwood last Saturday. The Lancers scored 25 straight points during a more than eight-minute stretch of the second half to highlight their win. Martaz Robinson was Delaware State's high scorer with 12 points. Robinson was five-for-seven from the field, including two-for-two on three-point shots. Aaron Lemon-Warren came off the bench to add a season-high 11 points for the Hornets on four-for-seven shooting, highlighted by three three-pointers on four tries. Delaware State only trailed 34-31 after Corey Perkins hit a free throw at the 2:50 mark of the first half, but Longwood scored the last four points of the half to lead 38-31 at the break. The Hornets pulled to within 43-39 on a follow-up dunk by Ray Somerville with 14:07 left in the second half, but were scoreless over the next eight-plus minutes as the Lancers took control. For the season, Khyrie Staten is tops on the Hornets in scoring at 13.7 points per game, and also leads the team with 12 three-point field goals and 13 steals. Newcomer Brandon Stone, a transfer from Robert Morris University, is second on the team with an 11.6 point-per-game average and is the Hornets' number one rebounder at 5.4 per game. Guard Martaz Robinson leads the Hornets with 27 assists and is fourth in rebounding at 3.5 per game. Delaware State head coach Stan Waterman won eight state championship games at the Carpenter Center as head coach at Sanford School (Del.).
Delaware (4-4; 0-0 CAA) evened its record for the season with a 69-67 victory over Davidson last Saturday. Jyare Davis led five double-figure scorers for the Hens with a career-high 25 points. Jameer Nelson, Jr., son of the former NBA standout, is Delaware's top scorer this season at 17.8 points per game this season. He also leads the team with 26 assists. Christian \Ray averages 11.5 rebounds per game to lead the team.     
 
THE SERIES (Delaware leads 16-5) 
This is the 22^nd meeting between the state's two Division I men's basketball programs. Delaware has won the last two meetings to open up 16-5 series lead. The Hens took the last meeting 59-48 at DSU's Memorial Hall. The Hornets hit just 16 of their 47 shots from the field (34.0%), including three-of-14 from three-point range (21.4%) in last season's meeting. DSU was also plagued by 23 turnovers, resulting in 23 points for the Hens. Delaware shot 44.4% for the game, knocking down 24-of-54 shots from the floor, including nine-for-27 from beyond the arc (33.3%). The teams did not meet in the 2020-21 season. The last time the Hornets and Hens met at the Carpenter Center, the Hornets emerged with a 73-71 victory on a basket by Kevin Larkin with 3.4 second left to play on Dec. 19, 2018. Delaware State won the first meeting between the teams in 1991. Delaware took the next eight games from 1992 to 2000. The teams did not meet from 2001 to '08. The Hornets won 75-67 in Memorial Hall when the series resumed in 2009.