PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - - Chestnut Hill hit seven three-pointers in the second half to take a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference South Division matchup over the Wilmington University men's basketball team, 83-73, on Tuesday night inside Sorgenti Arena.
With the game tied, 44-44, the Griffins (9-10, 5-4 CACC) used a 16-5 run to take a double-digit lead with 7:23 to play. The Wildcats' (5-15, 3-5 CACC) comeback got them to within six points, but the Griffins held on to take the first game of the season series.
The Griffins started the game by scoring the first nine points of the contest. Justin Perez got the Wildcats on the board at the 15:24 mark and then Izaiah Credle scored back-to-back buckets to bring the Wildcats to within 16-12. Five straight points from Tre Hawkins put the Wildcats in front, 19-18, and then the teams went on the seesaw. Down five, the Wildcats received a layup from Manir Waller and a put back slam from Hiram Alexander to bring the Wildcats to within 29-28 at the halftime break.
Buckets from Hawkins and Perez gave the Wildcats a 34-33 lead in the early going of the second half and then a Hiram Alexander three-pointer and a Tre Hawkins dunk gave the Wildcats their largest lead of the game, 39-36, with 15:22 to play. The Griffins hit a three-pointer to regain the lead, and the Perez tied it with a pair from the line, 44-44, with 13:20 left.
A 9-2 spurt put the Griffins ahead 53-46 and then another three-pointer gave the home team a 58-49 lead with 8:11 showing on the clock. Another layup out of a timeout put the Griffins up, 60-49, capping a 16-5 run.
A steal and a layup from Manir Waller brought the Wildcats to within 69-63 with 1:59 to play, but the Griffins answered right back with a three-point play, going on a run to extend the lead back out to double digits and seal the victory.
Denim Perkins led the Wildcats with 15 points, three rebounds, and four assists. Jaylin Horsey came off the bench to score 14 points while Tre Hawkins scored 13 points to go with five rebounds. Justin Perez added 10 points and five rebounds. Manir Waller contributed eight points, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals in the loss.
The Wildcats shot just 2-for-14 from beyond the three-point arc in the game. The Griffins went 9-for-26 from deep, including hitting seven in the second half.
The Wildcats return home for their next CACC contest, welcoming Post to the WU Athletics Complex on Saturday afternoon. The Wildcats and Eagles are set for a 3:00 p.m. tip-off.