NEW CASTLE, Del. - - The Wilmington University women's basketball team extended its losing streak to 12 games as the Wildcats dropped a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference matchup against Georgian Court, 69-50, on Thursday night at the Pratt Center.
Wilmington (1-13, 0-9 CACC) had the deficit as close as nine points with three minutes remaining, but couldn't get any closer as Georgian Court (3-16, 2-10 CACC) made 10 of its final 12 free-throws to close out the contest.
Samantha Retas hit the team's first three-pointer of the game with 5:51 remaining to cut the deficit to 11 at 48-37, and Kim Walton hit a jumper on the next possession to cut it to nine points for the first time since 1:30 into the second half. Cari Callaway had a toe on the line on a long two-pointer at the 4:54 mark, cutting the Lions' lead to nine once again.
Back came Georgian Court however, gathering two offensive rebounds on the following possession and put home the third chance to slice any momentum. Megan Fox's layup with 4:10 to play cut it to nine again, 52-43, but a wide open layup off the hand of Walton rimmed out, deflating the home team. The Lions' Christina White got another offensive rebound at the other end, putting home the board for the four-point swing. Callaway hit another long jumper, cutting the visitor's lead to nine for the final time.
From there, the Lions hit 10 of their next 12 foul shots, and put the final nail in the coffin with a three-pointer from the corner to take a 63-48 lead with 1:19 showing on the clock.
The Wildcats shot 18-for-59 for the game and was led by Walton's 11 points while Courtney Coleman contributed 10 off the bench. Retas grabbed a game-high eight rebounds and four steals. Wilmington shot 6-for-29 in the first half, but bounced back and found a rhythm by shooting 12-for-30 to close out the game.
Georgian Court committed 39 turnovers for the game but picked the pockets of the Wildcats 21 times. The Lions shot 22-for-47 for the night, including 3-for-4 from beyond the arc. They also held the advantage on the foul line, going 22-for-37 from the stripe.
Wilmington will look to rebound on Saturday, as they travel to CACC foe Dominican for its third game in five days. The game is slated for a 1 p.m. tip.
Game Notes: The Lady Wildcats had a special group of fans in the stands tonight, as the fifth grade class from Pleasantville Elementary School came to help root on the team. The women's team and the fifth graders have been sharing letters back and forth as part of a Pen Pal buddy system through the course of the season. The children made signs and were cheering loudly through the entire contest.