Copyright 2015; Wilmington University. All rights reserved. Photo of Ebonee Dixon against Goldey-Beacom College by Frank Stallworth.
NEWARK, Del. - - The Goldey-Beacom Lightning used a 20-11 second quarter advantage to carry them to an 85-72 victory over the Wilmington University women's basketball team in cross town Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference action in the final game of the 2015 season on Sunday afternoon at the WU Athletics Complex.
The Wildcats (7-6, 2-3 CACC) outscored the Lightning (3-10, 3-3 CACC) in the third quarter but couldn't get any closer than to within seven points before the Lightning regained control. Macy Robinson led the Wildcats in the comeback effort by hitting four of her five three-pointers in the second half, but the Lightning had an answer for every Wilmington punch.
The Wildcats used a 5-0 run early in the second quarter to pull to within 24-19, but the Lightning started a 16-6 run of their own with 4:51 left in the quarter. The stretch spanned the rest of the first half, including scoring the final five points of the half to take a 40-25 lead into the halftime break.
Trailing 53-34 halfway through the third quarter, the Wildcats cut into the deficit with a 12-2 spark, getting a layup from Zameria Jones before back-to-back jumpers by Jocelyn Rodriguez. Ebonee Dixon converted an old fashioned three-point play before Jones scored the final three points of the run on a free throw and a layup, cutting the deficit to 55-46 with 2:18 left in the quarter.
The Lightning responded with back-to-back baskets to stem the tide of the Wildcats' run. Robinson tried to bring the momentum into the fourth quarter with a three-pointer with 30 seconds left, but again the Lightning responded with heir own triple at the buzzer, giving the Lightning a 64-51 lead after three full.
Continuing to battle back in the fourth quarter, the Wildcats had the deficit to 74-63, but the Lightning put the game away with hitting their next three shots, going on a 7-0 run to open up an 81-63 lead with 2:45 remaining in regulation.
Robinson led the Wildcats with 23 points off the bench, shooting 8-of-13 from the floor including 5-of-8 from beyond the three-point arc. Dixon was the only other Wildcat to reach double figures, scoring 14 points on 5-of-12 shooting. Dixon added four rebounds, three assists, and a steal as well. Jordan Hawkins and Carin Essex-Arline led the Wildcats with eight rebounds each while Rodriguez scored eight points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out five assists off the bench.
The Lightning shot 44.7 percent from the floor for the game and was led by Britani Bryson's double-double with 29 points and 15 rebounds. Lexi Bruno added a double-double with 24 points and 12 assists as well.
The Wildcats return to action in 2016 following the NCAA Division II mandated holiday break with a nonconference contest against Elizabeth City State on January 3. Tip-off against the Vikings is slated for 1:00 p.m. at the WU Athletics Complex.
