KUTZTOWN, Pa. - - The Wilmington University men's basketball team outscored Kutztown, 18-8, in the final eight minutes of the nonconference contest, earning the 75-67 victory on Monday night inside Keystone Arena.
An old-fashioned three-point play gave Kutztown (0-5) a 59-57 lead with 8:53 to play, but then Randy Rickards started a 6-0 run with a jumper and then another 7-0 run with a driving layup, as Amiri Stewart completed the 13-3 run with a driving layup as the Wildcats led, 70-62, with 3:02 to play. Kutztown closed to within 70-67, but the Wildcats hung on for their second straight win.
A 7-0 run for Kutztown gave the Golden Bears their largest lead of the game, 23-16, midway through the first half. The Wildcats closed the gap to within 24-23, at the under eight-minute media timeout and then Randy Rickards gave the visitors their first lead of the game with a layup, 27-26, with 6:37 to play in the half.
Jordan Jackson then dumped a fast break pass off over his head in the paint to a charging Amiri Stewart, and he dunked it home to give the Wildcats their biggest lead of the half, 36-30 with 2:17 showing on the clock. The Golden Bears came back however, scoring the final six points of the half as the teams went into the halftime break knotted at 36-36.
A couple of fast break buckets by Stewart and Jackson gave the Wildcats a 44-39 lead at the first media timeout of the second half. Kutztown fired back and took a 49-46 lead with a three-pointer with 12:52 showing on the clock, but it was the Wildcats that led, 54-53, at the under 12-minute media timeout.
The teams went back and forth over the next four minutes, as Randy Rickards converted an old fashioned three-point play to give the Wildcats a 57-56 lead with 9:35 left in regulation. Former Wildcat Jordan Harding converted his own three-point play to give the Golden Bears a 59-57 lead with 8:53 to play, setting up the final run for the Wildcats.
Randy Rickards collected 11 points and seven rebounds in the second half alone, leading his team with his second straight double-double, compiling 17 points and 13 rebounds, adding four assists and three blocked shots as well.
Justin Thomas scored 11 first half points in finishing with 16 points, adding four assists as well. Amiri Stewart collected 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting, adding three steals and three blocked shots. Skip Burton was the fourth Wildcat to reach double figures, coming off the bench to hit a pair of three-pointers and ending with 10 points. Jordan Jackson had nine points and led the game with eight assists while adding five rebounds.
The Wildcats held the Golden Bears to 37.5 percent shooting on the night, including just 32.3 percent from the floor in the second half.
The Wildcats head into December and Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference play with a 3-3 overall record. They begin conference play at Chestnut Hill on Saturday with a 3:00 p.m. tip-off.