NEWARK, Del. - - The inside presence of Holy Family was too much to overcome for the Wilmington University men's basketball team, as the Tigers defeated the Wildcats, 82-66, on Wednesday night at the WU Athletics Complex on Senior Night.
Both vying for seeding in the CACC Tournament, it was the Tigers (14-11, 10-8 CACC) that came out on top on Wednesday, outscoring the Wildcats (12-15, 9-9 CACC in the paint, 50-28.
The Wildcats also had an off shooting night on Wednesday, only hitting on 36.6 percent of their attempts (26-for-71), including just 6-for-26 from three-point territory. Although the Tigers weren't much better from distance (5-for-21), their game inside the paint allowed them to shoot 48.6 percent from the field for the game (36-for-74).
Wilmington got off to a flying start Wednesday night, as Jordan Harding connected on a four-point play to give the Wildcats a 7-4 lead. Jermaine Head hit another three-pointer for the Wildcats, followed by a Danny Walsh jumper and two from the foul line by Thomas Farrior. The Wildcats had their largest lead of the night, 14-6, with 14:30 left in the first half.
Farrior again gave the Wildcats an eight-point lead with 10:50 left in the half, but the Tigers began to chip away. Alvin West put the Wildcats up 25-18 with 6:16 showing on the clock, but the Tigers would go on an 11-0 run to grab a 29-25 lead with 3:37 to play in the half. Another 7-0 spurt put the visitors up 36-28, before going into the break with a 38-30 lead.
The Wildcats scored the first six points of the second half, drawing to within 38-36 of the Tigers, and the Wildcats would stay close as Thomas Farrior put in a layup for the 45-42 deficit with 15:06 to play. But a 7-0 run would give the Tigers their first 10-point lead of the game, 52-42, with 12:35 showing on the clock.
The game would be decided by a 21-8 run by the Tigers, spanning 6:41 of game clock more than halfway through the second half. The Tigers turned a 59-51 lead into an 80-59 lead with 2:32 left in regulation.
The Wildcats were led by Thomas Farrior's 22 points on Senior night while Jordan Harding added a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Jermaine Head scored nine points but added 12 rebounds, seven assists, and two steals. Danny Walsh chipped in with 10 points, four rebounds, and five assists.
WilmU is still fighting for the third spot in the South Division with one game remaining in the regular season. The Wildcats head to crosstown rival Goldey-Beacom on Saturday in the regular season finale. Both the Lightning and the Wildcats will compete in the CACC Tournament this year. Saturday's game is scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. opening tip.
