RUTHERFORD, N.J. - - Trailing by eight points with less than four minutes to play in regulation, the Wilmington University men's basketball team closed to within one point after senior Andrew Corrigan converted an old fashioned three-point play, but the Wildcats could not get a final shot off, falling to Felician, 78-77, on Saturday afternoon at Job Gym.
Looking for its second straight Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference victory, the Wildcats (1-8, 1-3 CACC) had the ball with two seconds remaining after Felician (4-4, 2-2 CACC) missed a pair of free throws but failed get a shot off before the buzzer sounded.
James Pee started the late game run with a three pointer to close the gap to within five at 75-70 with 2:45 left in regulation. On the Wildcats' next trip down the floor, Brandon Fox hit a pair from the foul line to cut it to within three with just over two minutes showing on the scoreboard.
Felician's Will Thompson converted on his two free throw attempts for the Golden Falcons but Herbert Dennis came back for the visitors and laid one off the glass to close it to 77-74 with 1:41 left in the game.
The Wildcats got the stop they were looking for on the defensive end of the floor, but a turnover gave the ball back to the home team now with under a minute to play. The Wildcats sent Felician's Tajric Boggs to line who hit the second of his two attempts to turn it into a two possession game at 78-74 with 23 ticks remaining.
Wilmington had three cracks at scoring on the ensuing possession, as Fox gobbled up a Dennis missed layup and Corrigan gathered the Fox miss before laying in his own attempt while getting fouled in the act. Stepping to the line, the senior made it a one point game, sinking his only attempt from the charity stripe of the game but the play knocked the clock all the way down to four seconds to play.
The Wildcats fouled Anthony J. Green with two seconds to play, missing both free throws to give the Green and White one last opportunity.
Wilmington had four players reach double figures in the game, led by 17 from Dennis. Dennis shot just 5-for-12 from the floor, but went 6-for-8 from the foul line to lead the team in going 22-for-32 in the contest. Senior Isiah Mason finished with 16 points, shooting 6-for-9 from the floor in 35 minutes of action off the bench. Pee added 13 points while hitting three three-pointers in the game, while junior Dusan Kojic chipped in with 10 points.
Brandon Fox grabbed 11 boards as the Wildcats out rebounded the Golden Falcons, 49-42, for the game.
Felician led by five points at the break, aided by six steals that led to 10 points off turnovers in the opening 20 minutes. The Golden Falcons scored 11 more points off turnovers in the second half, outscoring the Wildcats, 21-12, in the category for the contest. They also out-muscled the Wildcats in the paint, leading 38-28 in points in the paint.
Saturday was the final road game for the Wildcats until the new year, as they will play their next four games at the WU Athletics Complex. Their longest home stretch of the 2012-13 season will begin on Monday against cross-town rival Goldey-Beacom with a CACC doubleheader. The men's tip-off will begin at 6 p.m.