NEWARK, Del. – Delaware used a 13-0 spurt to seize control in the middle of the second half, then held off Virginia Commonwealth for an 81-79 victory.

Marc Egerson broke a 46-46 tie with a driving bank shot high off the glass. Egerson then combined with Brian Johnson and Jawan Carter on a trio of 3-pointers. Johnson finished the spree with a 15-footer in transition to put the Blue Hens ahead 59-46.

The Rams (1-1, 8-5) got within one on Joey Rodriguez’s 3-pointer with 3.5 seconds left. Carter was fouled and hit a free throw at :02.9. He missed the second foul shot, but Eric Maynor’s running 35-footer hit the backboard and but didn’t draw iron at the buzzer.

Maynor piled 18 of his 28 points into the final 6:22. Rodriguez had 13 points and Bradford Burgess 11 for the Rams.

Egerson had 19 points for Delaware (1-1, 7-7). Johnson added 16 points and Alphonso Dawson 15 for the Blue Hens.

Delaware was 10 of 18 on 3-pointers and hit 27 of 35 free throws – including its first 14.