NEWARK, Del. - - The Wilmington University men's basketball team was involved in another close game down the stretch on Sunday, this time getting on the positive side of the scoreboard as the Wildcats defeated West Chester, 85-79, in their 2023-24 home opener at the WU Athletics Complex.
The Wildcats (1-3) dropped close games to Saint Rose, New Haven, and Shippensburg to start the year, and found themselves in another once again against West Chester on Sunday. The largest lead of the game was six points, which ended up being the final spread.
Skip Burton stepped the line with 1:31 to play and hit a pair of free throws, giving the Wildcats a 78-77 lead and they never gave it back. Burton then hit two more from the foul line for an 80-77 lead and after the Golden Rams (1-3) cut it to a one-point game, the Wildcats went 4-for-5 from the charity stripe to close out the game.
West Chester jumped out to an early lead in the game, going on a 6-0 run to take a 14-7 lead with 14:35 to play in the first half. The Wildcats answered with a 10-0 run of their own, getting back into the contest, 17-14, after a fastbreak layup from LJ Carter with 11:36 to play in the half.
West Chester regained as large as a five-point lead in the first half, after an old fashioned three-point play gave the Rams a 31-26 lead with 4:10 before the break. The Wildcats went into the break trailing, 38-34.
The Rams led 43-38 early in the second half before back-to-back three-pointers from Caleb Matthews and Skip Burton gave the Wildcats the lead, 44-43, with 17:23 on the clock. The next eight minutes of game time would be played within a single possession of each other before Taalib Holloman hit a jumper to give the home team a 64-60 lead with 9:16 to play. Amiri Stewart dumped a pass off to Asher Kemble in the paint, giving the Wildcats its largest lead of the half, 68-63, with 7:58 to play.
West Chester didn't quit though, scoring the next six points to regain the lead, 69-68. The game went back and forth once again, with two free throws giving the Rams a 77-75 lead with 2:17 to play. Taalib Holloman hit one of his two free throws to get to within 77-76 with 2:03 to play before Burton gave the Wildcats the lead for good with his two free throws with 1:31 left.
Taalib Holloman led the Wildcats with 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting, adding three steals as well. Skip Burton went for 15 points, hitting 6-of-7 from the foul line while adding four assists and two steals. Caleb Matthews shot 3-of-4 from the floor, including 2-of-2 form deep and 4-of-4 from the foul line for 12 points, adding four rebounds and three assists as well. Nalik Veasley was the fourth Wildcat in double figures with 11 points, adding a team leading seven rebounds and three blocked shots.
The Wildcats are back in action on Wednesday when they welcome Molloy to the Complex for a Thanksgiving matinee. The opening tip is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. in Newark.