PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - - Using a combination of good shooting, ball movement, and limiting turnovers, the Wilmington University men's basketball team defeated Holy Family, 93-83, on Wednesday night at the Campus Center Gym on the final night before the mandatory holiday break.
Dawson Grinnage was two points away from becoming the first player in program history to record a triple-double, scoring eight points while grabbing 13 rebounds and dishing out 11 assists. As a team, the Wildcats assisted on 20 of the team's 34 made field goals, while only turning the ball over six times on Wednesday night. The Wildcats shot 50.7 percent from the floor, hitting 12-of-26 from beyond the three-point arc.
The Wildcats (5-6, 2-1 CACC) jumped out of the gates to a 13-0 start and never looked back. The lead never changed hands in the contest and was only tied for the first 15 seconds of the game, 0-0, and for 15 seconds late in the first half, 34-34.
Jermaine Head, Danny Walsh, and Jordan Harding all hit three-pointers in leading the Wildcats to that 13-0 start, but the Tigers (5-5, 1-2 CACC) didn't go so quietly, closing to within 15-12 halfway through the first half. The Tigers continued to keep it close in the first half, scoring six straight to get to within one point, 32-31, before eventually tying the game, 34-34, with 1:07 showing on the clock. But Ed Henderson hit a three-pointer to regain the lead for WilmU before Dawson Grinnage's putback gave the Wildcats a 39-34 lead at the halftime buzzer.
Still leading by five points early in the second half, Tyler Norwood hit one of his six three-pointers before Grinnage had another tip-in putback to give the Wildcats a 51-41 lead with 15:10 left in regulation. Norwood came back and hit another three-pointer out a Holy Family timeout, and the Wildcats held a 13-point lead.
Norwood continued to hit the long ball, giving the Wildcats a 66-48 lead with 11:03 to play. A technical foul by the Tigers sparked a 7-0 run for the Wildcats, capped by a Thomas Farrior old-fashioned three-point, putting the Wildcats up 73-53. Farrior would give the Wildcats their largest lead of the game moments later with another layup, 75-54, with 8:31 left in regulation.
That 21-point lead held until the 6:55 mark before the Tigers went on a 7-0 run to shrink the deficit. A three-pointer brought the Tigers to within nine, but it was too little too late as the game clock only showed 45 seconds to play. A Thomas Farrior steal and layup iced the game with less than 30 seconds remaining.
Tyler Norwood led the Wildcats with 24 points, going 6-for-10 from beyond the three-point arc. Jermaine Head scored 14 points to go with eight rebounds while Jordan Harding chipped in with 14 points as well. Danny Walsh was the fourth starter in double figures with 12 points, adding three assists.
Thomas Farrior came off the bench to score 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting in his Wildcat debut, adding 6-of-9 from the foul line. 14 of his points came in the second half on 5-of-6 shooting.
The Tigers shot just 5-of-31 from three-point land, shooting 44.3 percent from the floor overall. They were led by Kharon Randolph's game high 27 point while Branden Aughburns added 22 points.
Tonight was the final game of the 2018 calendar year for the Wildcats, as they do not return to game action until Wednesday, January 2 at Georgian Court. Although a Wednesday game, it is a matinee start with a tip-off scheduled for 3:00 p.m.