PHILADELPHIA -- Delaware's determination was hatched a year ago in a stunning Colonial Athletic Association women’s basketball title-game loss.

Avenging that defeat to Drexel had been a daily thought. And when the Blue Hens put themselves in position to do so Sunday, there was still an excruciating final minute to manage.

When Delaware survived that, it only made the victory celebration more emotional and meaningful.

Up by 16 late, Delaware held on to to edge Drexel 63-59 in the CAA title game at the Daskalakis Athletic Center on the Drexel campus with a noisy 1,812 in attendance.

"It was a gutsy, gritty win," coach Natasha Adair said, "and a hard-fought journey to get here."

For the first time, Delaware will send both its men's and women's teams to NCAA basketball tournaments in the same season, making Sunday night's Carpenter Center gathering a double-header.

BOX SCORE: Delaware 63, Drexel 59

ESPN will reveal the women's bracket at 8 p.m.

"We talked about this since last year and every day we just worked," Adair said. "We said the road back here was probably gonna be the hardest road and as long as we stay the course, as lng as we stay together, everything along the journey was going to prepare us for this day . . . From day one, they believed."

Tournament Most Outstanding Player Jasmine Dickey scored 27 points and grabbed 18 rebounds to lead the way. Tyi Skinner had 10 points and Ty Battle 12 rebounds for Delaware.

"We were locked in," Dickey said. ". . . We remembered that feeling that we had last year. It hurt. We didn't want to be in that position anymore."

Dickey's 3-pointer had put Delaware up 58-42 with 6:29 to go. The Hens were still up 62-51 after her short jumper with 2:30 left, though she missed a subsequent free throw.

But four UD turnovers helped fuel Drexel's comeback, though it could have been closer. Drexel's best player Keishana Washington (22 points) missed two free throws with 4.6 seconds left and the Dragons down three.

WILD FINISH: Both thought they’d won but Hens take CAA women’s hoops semifinal

Jewel Smalls then made a free throw for Delaware's only point in the last 2½ minutes with :02.5 on the clock. But it clinched the win, and the celebration erupted soon after she missed the second and Drexel threw an errant shot at the basket.

"We stayed together. That was our biggest focus," Dickey said. "Stay together. Stay calm, and we were OK. The time was running out and the clock was on our side."

No. 2-seeded Delaware (24-7) had lost 14 of the last 16 matchups with archrival Drexel, including both this season. No. 1-seeded Drexel (26-5) will now seek a second WNIT title.

"It was a new season so we didn't really talk about what had happened prior," Adair said. "We talked about being ready."

Delaware's path to the title was carved with 40% shooting (22-for-55) keyed by 8-for-17 aim on 3-pointers.

But the Hens limited Drexel to 32% shooting (20-for-63) and just 4-for-23 aim on 3-pointers, which have often been the Dragons' trademark.

The Blue Hens had reached the final with a dramatic 56-55 semifinal win over Towson on Saturday, secured on Tye Skinner’s two free throws with four-tenths of a second on the clock.

REPEAT SELECTION: Player of Year Dickey leads Hens into CAA tourney

The Blue Hens earned their fifth NCAA Tournament berth, the others coming in 2001 as America East champ, 2007 as an at-large selection and 2012 and 2013 as CAA champion.

Delaware has reached eight CAA title games in its 21 seasons in the league, losing to Old Dominion in 2003 and 2005, James Madison in 2011 and 2014 and Drexel last year 63-52 at Elon, where Delaware was the top seed and Drexel was No. 2.

GET THE POINT?: Dickey provides prolific scoring, more for Hens

Delaware got off to the kind of hot start that can be beneficial against the Dragons, making seven of their first eight shots from the field and taking a 16-4 lead. But Drexel quickly recovered, responding with an 8-0 run. Delaware led 19-15 after the first period.

The Dragons trimmed the UD advantage to two points twice early in the second period. But Delaware went into halftime ahead 35-31 after scoring on its last four possessions and shooting 50% (14-for-28) for the first half.

Dickey’s 3-pointer then ignited a 10-0 run to start the second half, as the Blue Hens took their biggest lead yet 45-31 with 5:10 left in the third quarter. They led 52-38 entering the fourth period knowing Drexel’s potential offensive explosiveness meant the Dragons were still dangerous.

But big 3-pointers by Skinner with 8:50 left and Dickey with 6:29 to go extended the UD lead to as many as 16 points.

"We knew we had to get off to a really great start and we had to keep our foot on the gas and we did not let up," Adair said.

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This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware Blue Hens beat Drexel in CAA, make NCAA Women's Basketball