NEW CASTLE, Del. - - Philadelphia University's do-it-all senior Christine Wooding scored 18 of her game-high 33 points in the second half to turn a seven point halftime contest into a 74-43 victory over the Wilmington University women's basketball team on Tuesday night at the Pratt Center.
Wilmington (1-15, 0-11 CACC) jumped out to an early five-point lead in the first half and held onto a one point lead until the 5:59 mark of the first half before Philadelphia (13-6, 8-2 CACC) proved why it is among the top of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference South Division.
Erin Moore nailed a three-pointer for the Wildcats with less than seven minutes remaining in the first half to reclaim the lead 19-18. The Rams' Najah Jacobs put home a layup as the teams went back and forth. Kim Walton hit one of two free-throws to tie the game at 20-20 with 5:20 remaining in the half, but it was all Philadelphia from there on out.
Wooding hit a free throw to claim the lead for good with 4:33 on the clock, and scored her 15th point of the half on a layup less than two minutes later to put the Rams up 23-20. Jacobs scored a lay-in and Taylor Peltzer added a jumper to close a 7-0 run to end the half.
The Rams came out of the locker room and scored eight of the next ten points to extend the gap and put a strangle hold on the CACC matchup.
Megan Fox scored off the tip, six seconds into the contest to put the Wildcats on the board first. After the Rams tied it at 2-2, Walton hit a jumper and Moore came back with a three-pointer to give the home team its largest lead of the game at 7-2. After Wooding cut the lead to one with a layup, Moore hit a foul shot and Lauren Brown put home a bucket in the paint to take a 10-6 lead with 12:50 to play in the first half.
Moore and Brown led the Wildcats with 12 points apiece, as Walton added seven and Courtney Coleman chipped in with six. Coleman also grabbed a team high six rebounds off the bench.
Philadelphia was led by Wooding's 33 points, 17 rebounds, and five assists as she shot 9-for-15 from the floor and 15-for-20 from the free throw line. Kristen Blye added 11 points for the Rams, while Jacobs contributed 10 points.
Wilmington held the Rams to 8.3 percent shooting from three-point territory for the game, as Philadelphia missed 11 of the 12 shots attempted. The Wildcats were ranked 92nd in the country while holding teams to a 28.9 percent clip from beyond arc coming into tonight's contest.
The Wildcats will look to bounce back this weekend as they return to the Pratt Center on Saturday against Felician. The game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. tip.
