Philadelphia used a 34-10 run over the final 12:45 of regulation to take an 87-69 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference women's basketball victory over Wilmington University on Tuesday night at the Gallagher Center.
In front of a packed house, the Wildcats (6-16, 4-10 CACC) led 59-53 after a pair of Tenicia Spence free throws with 12:45 remaining in regulation, but the Rams (15-3, 9-2 CACC) responded with a game deciding run, taking the lead for good with 10:28 showing on the clock.
Cari Callaway hit back-to-back jumpers at the end of the first half, cutting the deficit to 38-34 heading into the locker room.
The Wildcats just the deficit to a single point on multiple occasions throughout the beginning of the second half and finally broke past the Rams with a Callaway three-pointer with 14:31 to play, 49-48. Spence hit a jumper to make it a three-point lead before Philadelphia fought back to tie the game at 51-51.
Jasmine Lee made a jump shot to give the Wildcats the lead again at 55-53 before Callaway hit a jumper moments later for the 55-53 lead with 13:15 to play. On the Wildcats next possession, Spence hit both ends of her free throws to give the Wildcats their largest lead, 59-53, with 12:45 to play.
A quick 9-3 run tied the game at 62-62 on a pair of free throws from Najah Jacobs with 10:49 to play and the Rams took the lead for good on a Monica Schacker three-pointer with 10:28 remaining in regulation.
Spence cut the Wildcats' deficit to 69-65 with 9:37 to play by hitting a three-pointer, but the Rams scored nine-straight in route to an 18-2 run to expand the lead out to 87-67 with 3:42 to play.
Callaway came off the bench to score 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting, hitting 2-of-4 from deep in the contest. She also dished out a team high four assists. Spence added 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting, hitting 2-of-7 from deep while also dishing out three assists.
The Wildcats shot 40.3 percent from the floor for the game, including 45.2 percent in the first half. The Rams shot 46.7 percent from the floor for the game, but went 5-of-6 from beyond the three-point arc in the second half to aid them to victory.
After a three-game road trip in which the Wildcats went 2-1, Wilmington returns to the WU Athletics Complex on Saturday for another CACC contest. The Wildcats host Dominican to start the doubleheader with the opening tip scheduled for 1 p.m.