NEWARK, Del. - - A four point second half lead for the Wilmington University women's basketball team quickly turned into a seven point deficit as Georgian Court University used an 11-0 run to take the lead for good and come away with a 66-55 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference victory on Wednesday night at the WU Athletics Complex.
Trailing by a bucket at the halftime break, the Wildcats (3-11, 1-6 CACC) used a 10-4 run to open the second stanza to take a 37-33 lead. But the Lions (3-8, 3-4 CACC) retaliated with an 11-0 run of their own to take a seven point advantage with 12:46 remaining in regulation. It was a lead they would not relinquish.
The Wildcats had multiple opportunities in the contest to negate the 11-0 Lion run and make a run of their own, but the team was unable to convert on 18 layups throughout the contest. The team shot 29.3 percent from the field for the game.
Freshman Tiaja Harrold gave the Wildcats their first lead of the contest, nailing a three-pointer on their first possession of the game. Other than a brief one point lead by the home team with 12:55 to play in the first half, the Lions held onto the lead for the majority of the opening 20 minutes. But the Wildcats contained the visitors, not allowing them to gain more than a five point lead at any point in the half.
After the Lions opened the second half by scoring 4 of the first six points, the Wildcats went on a 8-0 to take their only lead of the second half, kick started by a Tenicia Spence three-pointer. Allison McDonald followed with hitting one of two from the foul line before Tashea Plaummer converted a layup for a two point lead. Spence finished off the rally with another layup giving the Wildcats their largest lead of the game.
The Lions responded by tying the game 1:02 later and taking the lead for good off a jumper from Tahira Matthews at the 15:47 mark of the second half. Georgian Court never looked, opening as large as a 13 point second half lead before settling on the final 66-55 score.
The Lions were led by four players who reached double figures, as Elizabeth Lawler topped all Lions with 12 points. Christina White and Matthews added 11 points each while Ebony Sellers and Jade Williams chipped in with 10 points each. Sellers finished with a game high nine assists while Lawler missed a double-double by one rebound.
Spence, a freshman from Baltimore, Md., led all scorers with 16 points, going 2-for-3 from beyond the three-point arc. She also added a team high four assists, along with junior Lauren Brown. Harrold added eight points for the Wildcats, as did senior Danielle Thomas off the bench.
The Wildcats forced 19 turnovers and recorded 11 steals for the contest, but could not convert at the other end, being outscored 18-12 on points off turnovers. They were also outscored, 30-16, in the paint, aided by the 18 missed layups. The wildcats gathered 12 offensive rebounds, beating the Lions in second chance points, 12-10.
Wilmington has an extended break before continuing their four-game home stand. After the holiday break, the Wildcats return to game action on January 5 against CACC foe Dominican in part of a basketball doubleheader. The women precede the men with the opening tip scheduled for 1 p.m.
