MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (Interstat) — Delaware built a massive lead with a suffocating defensive effort and held off a late rally to defeat Middle Tennessee 61-48 in a Conference USA women’s basketball game Thursday night at Murphy Athletics Center.

The Blue Hens (8-10) limited the Blue Raiders (10-9) to just two points in the third quarter, turning a 35-23 halftime advantage into a 51-25 stranglehold. Middle Tennessee’s 23-point fourth-quarter surge was not enough to overcome the deficit.

Ande’a Cherisier led all scorers with 18 points for Delaware. Alayna Contreras scored 14 for Middle Tennessee, which shot just 4 for 26 from three-point range. A crowd of 3,605 watched the upset, as Delaware entered with a projected win probability below six percent.