NEWARK, Del. - - Chestnut Hill used a strong first quarter to earn a 62-36 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference victory over the Wilmington University women's basketball team on Wednesday night at the WU Athletics Complex.
The Griffins (9-3, 3-0 CACC) scored 28 of their 62 points in the first quarter, hitting four three-pointers and shooting 66.7 percent from the floor. The Wildcats (1-8, 1-3 CACC) came back and won the second quarter, 10-8, but the Griffins answered the call in the third and fourth quarters to extend their lead.
Daja Claiborne came out and scored the first four points of the game, but the Griffins started hitting from deep, going on a 10-0 run to take a 15-6 lead midway through the first stanza. Another 13-0 run in the quarter opened the lead out to 28-8 before Skylar Parris ended the quarter with a jumper, 28-10.
Claiborne scored four points during a 6-0 Wilmington run in the second to bring the Wildcats to with 32-16, and Sabreen Muslim and Layla Hunt also scored down the stretch to bring the Wildcats to within 36-20 going into the halftime break.
Sabreen Muslim scored the opening bucket of the third quarter to get within 14 points, but that would be as close as the Wildcats would get the rest of the way, as the Griffins answered with a three-pointer and led by as many as 20 points, 44-24, in the quarter.
The Griffins also won the fourth quarter, 15-7, taking as large as a 30-point lead late in the game. Emily Ansah scored back-to-back buckets down the stretch to finish with a team high 12 points and bring the final score to 62-36.
Ansah went a perfect 6-for-6 from the foul line, adding a team high seven rebounds as well. Daja Claiborne scored 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting while adding three rebounds, an assist, and a steal. Sabreen Muslim scored seven points and tied Ansah with a team high seven rebounds.
Chestnut Hill's Emily Chmiel finished with a double-double lead, the way with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Lauren Crim added 15 points while Bri Hewlett chipped in with 13 points.
The Wildcats return to action on Saturday, as they welcome Nyack to the WU Athletics Complex for another CACC home game. The opening tip is set for 1:00 p.m.
