NEW CASTLE, Del. - - Ed Freeman's three-pointer with 11:20 to play in regulation broke the tenth tie of the contest and the Wilmington University men's basketball team never looked back, defeating Concordia, 82-72, for its second straight Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference victory on Monday night at the Pratt Center.
Wilmington (9-12, 5-7 CACC) kept its postseason hopes alive with the victory and now sit only a game back from the fourth spot in the South Division. They travel to Holy Family next Tuesday, the team that is currently one game ahead in the standings. Concordia (10-12, 7-7 CACC) out rebounded the Wildcats, but couldn't hold onto the two-point halftime lead.
In a game that featured 10 ties and 10 lead changes, Freeman's three-pointer was the deal breaker. After Brandon Whitaker knocked down his own three ball to tie it for the 10th time, Freeman wasted no time and scored his long range shot six seconds later to make it 54-51 with 11:20 remaining in regulation. The Wildcats would hold onto the lead for the rest of the game.
The lead grew to as many as 10 points throughout the remainder of the second half, as Freeman nailed another three-pointer at the 9:18 mark to make it 59-53. Dennis Herbert extended the lead to eight with his own three ball and stopped any kind of a comeback attempt by the Clippers by sinking another shot from beyond the arc on the home team's next offensive possession to make it 67-58 with 7:01 showing on the clock.
Concordia's Norman Pope got it down to six with his own trey, but an Isiah Mason turnaround jumper in the lane and a fast-break dunk by Matt King made it 71-61 with five minutes to play in the game. Any attempt at a late game comeback by the visitors was thwarted, as the Clippers could only manage to cut the deficit to five on two occasions. The Wildcats would make 9-of-12 from the foul line in the final three minutes of play to secure the victory.
The Wildcats had four players in double figures, led by the reigning CACC Player of the Week Corye Payton. Payton tied a game-high with 21 points, shooting 8-for-13 and 5-for-7 from the free throw line. He has now scored 20 or more points in five consecutive games. King added a season's best 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting. King also grabbed five boards and dished out five assists. Herbert chipped in with 17 points while Freeman rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points.
The Clippers also had four players in double digits, but kept one of the CACC's top scorers below his average. Argelix Gil only finished with 13 points, but added 13 rebounds for the game. Whitaker led the Clippers with 21 points while Pope (14) and Lavor Morris (12) also scored in bunches.
The Wildcats have two more games this week, as they try to make their way into the playoffs with five games remaining in the regular season. They will travel to Chestnut Hill on Thursday before heading to Nyack on Saturday.