CALDWELL, N.J. - - The Wilmington University men's basketball team jumped out to an early lead but Caldwell regrouped and took the 91-82 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference cross-divisional battle on Tuesday night inside the Newman Center.
The three-pointer was falling early for the Wildcats (9-19, 6-9 CACC) as they used triples by Denim Perkins, Hiram Alexander, and Justin Perez to jump out to a 9-1 lead. An 8-2 run gave the Wildcats their largest lead of the game, capped by layups from Manir Waller and Izaiah Credle, 23-14, with 9:16 left in the first half.
The tide turned with a 9-0 Caldwell (17-10, 8-7 CACC) run, turning a 26-19 deficit into a 28-26 lead with 4:13 to play in the half. A Tre Hawkins free throw brought the Wildcats to within 31-30, but then the Cougars scored the final six points of the half to take a 37-30 lead into the locker room.
The teams traded buckets out of the break until a 6-0 mini run gave the Cougars a 53-41 lead with 14:38 to play. An Izaiah Credle three-pointer brought the Wildcats to within 59-52 with 12:06 to play but Caldwell kept scoring, not allowing the Wildcats to make any headway in the deficit. Another 7-0 spurt put the Cougars ahead, 71-55, with 8:25 showing on the clock.
The Wildcats used the three-ball to get within seven points on multiple occasions, but didn't get any closer until a Justin Perez three-pointer with 36 seconds left, 87-82. But the Cougars hit their free throws down the stretch to settle on the final score, 91-82.
Justin Perez led the charge for Wilmington, dropping a team-high 19 points on an efficient 7-of-11 shooting, including four three-pointers. Hiram Alexander and Izaiah Credle both contributed 12 points, with Alexander knocking down three triples and adding four rebounds. Manir Waller filled the stat sheet with 11 points, six rebounds, five assists, and three blocks.
The Wildcats shot an impressive 51.9 percent from the field and connected on 12 three-pointers at a 44.4 percent clip. However, free throw struggles (48.3 percent on 14-of-29 shooting) and a 37-26 rebounding deficit proved costly.
The win secured the fourth and final playoff spot in the North Division for Caldwell while the Wildcats head into the final game of the regular season looking to clinch the final spot in the South Division. A win over Goldey-Beacom on Saturday at home, or a Georgian Court Loss at Chestnut Hill, will send the Wildcats to the postseason for the seventh straight season.
The Wildcats and Lightning are set for a 6:00 p.m. tip-off at the WU Athletics Complex on Saturday night. The team will honor its seniors prior to the game for Senior Night.