DOVER, Del. — Skylah Kemp scored a game-high 18 points and Delaware State used a dominant fourth quarter to overcome a late deficit and defeat American 72-63 on Friday.
Trailing 47-46 entering the final period, the Hornets (2-3) regained the lead and capitalized on an 11-0 run to put the game out of reach. The decisive late scoring burst pushed Delaware State's advantage to 70-56 with 48 seconds remaining.
Anise Geiger added 12 points and two blocks for the Hornets. Maya McCorkle chipped in with 10 points and a team-high six rebounds.
Delaware State relied heavily on its perimeter shooting to secure the victory. The Hornets shot 9 of 23 from beyond the arc with Kemp draining a team-best three 3-pointers.
On the defensive end, Delaware State restricted American to 39.6% shooting from the field and a 29.4% mark from 3-point range. The Hornets aggressively protected the glass and limited the Eagles to just eight offensive rebounds and 11 second-chance points.
The Hornets established a 12-6 lead after the first quarter following a 7-0 run capped by a Dallas Pierce 3-pointer. Delaware State then extended its lead to 39-30 at halftime after its non-starters produced 12 points in the second quarter.
American battled back and outscored the hosts 17-7 in the third period to take a one-point lead before Delaware State's fourth-quarter response sealed the win.
