Local Delaware College Basketball

[dawrestling]

SUBJECT: Women’s Basketball Falls Behind Early, Dropping CACC Contest to Caldwell, 80-65

DATE: February 8, 2020
MKR

CALDWELL, N.J., - A hot start for Caldwell University would lead to an 80-65 win over the Wilmington University women’s basketball team Saturday afternoon on Corino Court in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference cross division matchup.

Caldwell (6-17, 6-8 CACC) came out strong in the first quarter against the Wildcats (4-18, 4-10 CACC) getting out to a 10-point lead with just 2:23 to play in the first, as Wilmington could not come back from the early deficit.

The Cougars would go on a 10-0 run to start the game, but the Wildcats found some momentum to go on a 7-0 run to come within two to make it 12-10 with 4:09 to play thanks to an Emily Ansah layup. The Cougars would have the hot hand and continue on a 15-2 run to extend their lead out to 27-12 with 1:32 to play in the first.

Kasha Andrews would start the Wildcats off in the second quarter with two back-to-back baskets, including a three-pointer, before LaShyra Williams put the Wildcats within 11 with 8:33 to play. Caldwell would then end the quarter on a 10-0 run to take a 53-31 lead into halftime.

The Cougars would get out to their largest lead of the game on the first shot of the second half, going up 24 on the Wildcats, but WilmU would hold Caldwell to just 13 points in the third, outscoring them in the quarter, 15-13.

The Wildcats would cut the 20-point deficit to 13 in the final quarter with 1:18 to play, but the Cougars would get two back ending the contest, 80-65. Caldwell would shoot 50.7 percent from the floor in the contest to the Wildcats’ 35.8 percent.

Emily Ansah had a team-high 15 points, going 7-12 from the floor with nine rebounds. LaShyra Williams would finish with 14 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, as Jadyn Whitsitt notched the double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Kasha Andrews also finished with 13 points, and six rebounds, while Kiara Eubanks added 10 points.

Wilmington will be back home this Wednesday against Jefferson for a South Division matchup. Tipoff is set for 6:00 p.m.

 

[dawrestling]

BJECT: Short Handed Wildcats Fall to Jefferson, 84-71

DATE: February 12, 2020
MKR

NEWARK, Del. – With a shorthanded bench, the Wilmington University women’s basketball team could not keep up with Jefferson, falling in the South Division Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference matchup, 84-71, Wednesday night at the WU Athletics Complex.

With just six players, the Wildcats (4-19, 4-11 CACC) needed some extra momentum to keep up with the Rams’ (12-11, 8-6 C ACC) offense, but would only score a combined 29 points throughout the first two quarters.

Junior forward Sabreen Muslim would get the Wildcats off to a good start, scoring the first bucket of the game, but WilmU would hold the lead for only 51 seconds before Jefferson scored four consecutive points off two Wildcat turnovers to take the lead for good. Jadyn Whitsitt would give Wilmington one more point on a foul shot with 6:54 to play in the first, but the Rams would go on a 7-0 run to bring their lead to as large as 10, before finishing the quarter with a 22-15 lead.

The Rams would open the second quarter with back-to-back three-pointers, but the Wildcats would try to continue to chip away at the deficit, getting within nine with 5:49 to play. Jefferson would not let up though, draining three more consecutive three-pointers to help start a 14-2 run to extend the lead to 21.

The Rams would open the new half jumping out to their largest lead of the contest of 27 with 2:46 to play in the third, before Wilmington could bring it to a 68-46 contest heading into the final quarter.

The Wildcats would begin the fourth quarter with a hot start, going on a 14-2 run, which included nine points from LaShyra Williams to cut the deficit to 10 with 5:53 to go. The Rams would answer right back though, as they jumped back out to a 19-point lead, before WilmU could cut it back to 13 to end the game. The Wildcats outscored the Rams in the final quarter, 25-16, shooting 60 percent from the floor.

LaShyra Williams led the Wildcats with 24 points and 10 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season, as Sabreen Muslim was one rebound away from her fourth double-double as she finished with 15 points and nine rebounds. Emily Ansah would add 12 points and five rebounds, as Jadyn Whitsitt chipped in with 10 points and five assists.

Wilmington will be back on the court this Saturday at the Complex when Concordia comes to Newark for a cross-division matchup. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m.

 

[dawrestling]

UBJECT: Men’s Basketball Has Its Best Shooting Day of Season in 91-60 Win at USciences

DATE: February 22, 2020
djl

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - - The Wilmington University men’s basketball team had their best shooting afternoon of the season, pouring in 52.9 percent of their shots in a 91-60 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference South Division victory at USciences on Saturday afternoon.

The win, coupled with a Georgian Court loss at Goldey-Beacom, puts the Wildcats (10-16, 8-9 CACC) two games ahead of the Lions and Holy Family in third place in the South Division with two games to play. The 31-point margin is also the team’s largest margin of victory in a road game in the program’s NCAA era.

The Wildcats started fast, scoring the first eight points of the game. USciences (6-19, 4-14 CACC) came back to eventually take a 12-11 lead and again at 15-13, before the Wildcats made their mark. Kam Cooper hit back-to-back three-pointers to take a 19-15 lead, starting a 10-0 run for the Wildcats. The Wildcats took their first double-digit lead with a Jermaine Head layup, 27-17, with 6:54 to play in the half, as back-to-back layups by the senior put the Wildcats up 15, 34-19, moments later with 5:20 to play.

Jordan Harding hit a three-pointer to put the Wildcats up by their largest margin of 18, 37-19, before another three-pointer, this time by Taalib Holloman gave the Wildcats their first 20-point lead, 42-22, with 2:54 to play in the half. Danny Walsh ended the half with another three-pointer, sending the Wildcats into the break leading 45-24.

The Wildcats hit nine three-pointers in the first half, shooting 17-for-32 (53.1 percent) from the floor overall. They were able to hold the Devils to just 30 percent shooting, including 2-of-10 from deep, and forced 11 turnovers.

A Danny Walsh three-pointer grew the lead to 26 early in the second half, 52-26, before Jordan Harding hit another three-pointer with 14:36 left to put the Wildcats up 27, 63-36. The Wildcats took their first 30-point lead with 11:06 left in regulation, as Harding hit another three-pointer, and the Wildcats too their largest lead of the game, 32, on a Jermaine Head fast break layup, 73-41, with 10:13 showing on the clock.

The Devils could only cut the deficit to as few as 26 the rest of the way, as Taalib Holloman hit a three-pointer in the final minute to settle the score, putting the Wildcats up 91-60.

The previous largest road victory margin was 26 when the Wildcats defeated Washington Adventist, 91-65, on January 21, 2010. They also defeated Georgian Court on the road, 85-60, on December 10, 2017.

Jermaine Head had the near triple-double, scoring 26 points on 12-of-19 shooting, adding eight assists, and seven rebounds. He now stands just six points away from tying Tyaire Ponzo-Meek’s all-time scoring record of 1,808 points.

Jordan Harding hit six three-pointers and scored 22 points, adding seven rebounds in the win. Danny Walsh hit four three-pointers to score 18 points, adding eight assists as well.

The Wildcats can clinch a playoff spot in their next contest, as they head to Georgian Court on Wednesday night. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. in Lakewood, New Jersey.

 

[dawrestling]

UBJECT: Jermaine Head Breaks All-Time Scoring Mark; Men’s Basketball Clinches Playoff Spot but Loses to Georgian Court, 76-71

DATE: February 26, 2020
djl

LAKEWOOD, N.J. - - Despite a 76-71 loss to Georgian Court on Wednesday night at the Wellness Center, the Wilmington University men’s basketball team will appear in the 2019-20 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament for the fourth year in row.

A large rebounding difference, including 12 second half offensive rebounds by the Lions (9-16, 7-11 CACC) allowed the home team to pull away in the second half and secure a playoff berth for the first time in program history. Holy Family lost to Chestnut Hill tonight, locking the Wildcats (10-17, 8-10 CACC) into one of the four positions from the South Division.

In the loss, redshirt senior Jermaine Head (Edgewood, Md./Joppatowne) became the Wildcats’ all-time leading scorer in the program’s NCAA era, surpassing Tyaire Ponzo-Meek’s mark of 1,808 career points set in 2016-17. Head only needed seven points to break the record tonight, finishing with 19 points to head into the regular season finale on Saturday with 1,821 points.

Georgian Court sped out to a 9-0 lead before the Wildcats answered with a 10-1 run of their own in the early going. Jermaine Head hit a three-pointer to give the Wildcats their first lead of the night, 13-12, starting a 10-2 spurt to give them their largest lead of the night, 20-14, with 8:47 left in the first half. The Lions went on a 9-0 run to grab a 23-20 lead and again led 27-22 with 4:02 to play.

After the made bucket, Jermaine Head took the inbounds pass and sped the other way and got into the lane. Just like how he’s been able to score a majority of his points, Head hung in the air and avoided contact, spinning one off the glass for his sixth and seventh points of the night, setting the new career record.

Head hit a three-pointer to take a 30-29 lead, and then another jumper with less than a minute to play in the half to take a 32-29 lead. But the Lions hit a three-pointer on their final possession of the half to tie the game, 32-32.

The teams traded buckets in the early going of the second half, with eight lead changes in the first six minutes of the half. The Lions took a 56-51 lead with 11:41 to play, but Danny Walsh 12 straight points for the Wildcats, including a three-pointer to take a 63-62 with 7:39 left in regulation. Jermaine Head put in a layup to grab 65-63 lead with 6:58 to play, but unfortunately for the Wildcats, that would be the last lead for the visitors.

The Lions scored six-straight to take a 69-65 lead with 4:58 to play, and the closest the Wildcats would get would be 69-68 after a Jermaine Head old fashioned three-point play with 3:42 to play. A Lions’ layup and three foul shots put the home team up 74-68 with less than a minute to play. Danny Walsh hit a three-pointer, but the Lions kept hitting free throws at the other end, closing out the game, 76-71.

Walsh led the Wildcats with 23 points, hitting five three-pointers while adding four rebounds, three steals, and two assists. Head finished with 19 points while adding five assists, three rebounds, a steal, and a blocked shot. Kam Cooper came off the bench to score 14 points, adding four rebounds as well.

It is the fourth straight year the Wildcats have advanced to the CACC Tournament, and the fifth in the last six years, all under head coach Dan Burke.

The Wildcats will close out the regular season on Saturday, as they host crosstown rival Goldey-Beacom on Senior Day. The opening tip is set for 3:00 p.m. at the WU Athletics Complex.

 

[dawrestling]

SUBJECT: Third Quarter Drought for Women’s Basketball Helps Georgian Court Take Season Series, 94-78

DATE: February 26, 2020
MKR

LAKEWOOD, N.J. – A third quarter drought for the Wilmington University women’s basketball team gave Georgian Court room for a 94-78 win Wednesday night in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference South Division matchup at the Wellness Center.

The Wildcats (5-21, 5-13 CACC) found themselves some momentum heading into halftime, up one point after a 10-4 run, but a slow start to the third quarter would make way for Georgian Court (9-16, 7-11 CACC) to score 31 points to WilmU’s 14.

Looking for revenge from a last second loss earlier in the season, Wilmington brought the Lions lead to within two with 4:03 minutes to play in the first off an Emily Ansah layup, before Kasha Andrews got it to within one with 35 seconds left.

Georgian Court would try and maintain a six-point lead with 5:47 to play in the first half, but the Wildcats would stick around, not letting the lead slip away. LaShyra Williams and Jadyn Whitsitt would sink back-to-back baskets to put WilmU within two with 3:44 to play, but the Lions answered right back to go up five. With 1:50 to play in the second, Sabreen Muslim would begin an 8-2 run to end the first half for the Wildcats, which included a layup with four seconds left by Kiara Eubanks that gave the Wildcats their first lead of the game.

LaShyra Williams gave WilmU their largest lead of the game on the first shot of the second half, making it a 41-38 contest, but Georgian Court would hold Wilmington to just four points until 3:17 left in the third, where they went on an 18-4 run to make it 56-47 game. The Lions would jump out to a 16-point lead, before getting out to their largest lead of the game of 18 with 20 seconds left in the third.

Georgian Court would maintain a 15-point lead, before the Wildcats could decrease the deficit to 11 thanks to a healthy Kasha Andrews three-pointer with 4:15 to play in regulation.

Sophomore Emily Ansah recorded a career-high 20 points, going 9-15 from the floor with nine rebounds to lead the Wildcats. Kiara Eubanks would finish with 16 points, and five rebounds, while LaShyra Williams notched her sixth double-double of the season with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Sabreen Muslim would add 11 points, and eight rebounds, as Kasha Andrews finished with 10 points.

Wilmington would shoot 84 percent from the free throw line in the contest, going 21-25 from the line.

The Wildcats have their final regular season game this Saturday when cross-town rival Goldey-Beacom comes to the Complex. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m. for senior day.

 

[dawrestling]

UBJECT: Women’s Basketball Closes Season with 73-70 Loss to Goldey-Beacom

DATE: February 29, 2020
djl

NEWARK, Del. - - A big third quarter tied the game, but the Wilmington University women’s basketball team couldn’t find the final touch in the fourth, as Goldey-Beacom earned the crosstown victory, 73-70, to end the 2019-20 season on Saturday afternoon at the WU Athletics Complex.

The Lightning (9-18, 9-10 CACC) went into the halftime break with an eight-point lead, but the Wildcats (5-22, 5-14 CACC) answered with a 21-13 third quarter, tying the game 53-53. The Lightning then hit three three-pointers and shot 61.5 percent from the floor in the fourth quarter, getting the edge in the quarter, and ultimately, the game.

The game started closely, as the teams traded blows throughout the first quarter. The Wildcats took as large as a 16-12 lead late on a LaShyra Williams jumper, but the Lightning hit two from the line to end the quarter with the Wildcats leading, 16-14.

Williams scored the first bucket of the second quarter, but the Lightning went on a 6-0 run to take a 20-18 lead. Another 6-0 run gave the visitors a 28-22 lead with 3:43 left before the half. The teams traded buckets down the stretch as the Wildcats closed the gap to 34-32 with 1:19 on the clock. But the Lightning finished the quarter by scoring the final six points, taking a 40-32 lead into the break.

The Wildcats quickly cut into the deficit to start the third, going on an 8-0 run to completely erase the Lightning lead, and continuing for a 14-0 sprint when all said and done, giving the Wildcats a 46-40 lead. The Wilmington lead got as large as 49-42 on a Williams free throw with 4:45 to play, but the Lightning quickly answered with a run of their own. They cut the deficit down to three before a three-pointer tied the game with 58 seconds to play. Williams gave the Wildcats the lead once more, but Sarah Round hit a jumper, sending the game into the fourth tied, 53-53.

Goldey-Beacom took a 63-58 lead with 5:50 to play, but the Wildcats used another 6-0 run to claw back into the lead, 64-63. Williams put in a layup before Kiara Eubanks got into the pain for two more, giving the Wildcats a 68-65 lead with 2:41 left in the game. But the Lightning went on an 8-0 run from there, hitting a three-pointer to take a 72-68 lead with 58 seconds left.

Down five with 27 seconds left, Williams put in a bucket to give the Wildcats a chance. The Wildcats picked up the much-needed turnover on an offensive foul, getting the ball back with 21 seconds left. But out of a timeout, the Wildcats could only get a two-pointer up and it was off the mark, giving the Lightning the three-point victory.

LaShyra Williams closed out her career with 29 points on 12-of-20 shooting, adding four rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Sabreen Muslim collected her fifth double-double of the year with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Kiara Eubanks led the team with four assists, adding nine points.

Goldey-Beaocm shot 54.2 percent from the floor for the game while the Wildcats shot 45.3 percent for the game.