PHILADELPHIA - - The Wilmington University women's basketball team got a perfect effort from sophomore guard Tianna Wagner, but the Wildcats dropped the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference matchup at Chestnut Hill, 54-42, on Tuesday night at Sorgenti Arena.
Wagner finished with a game high 15 points while shooting 6-for-6 from the floor, including a 3-for-3 performance from beyond the three-point line, but it wasn't enough as Wilmington (1-18, 0-14 CACC) dropped its 17th straight game.
The Wildcats held the Griffins (6-16, 5-10 CACC) to 22.2 percent shooting in the second half and only 30.9 percent for the game while outscoring the home team 27-21 in the second half. But it was an 18 point halftime deficit that did the Lady Wildcats in on the road.
The second half was off to a slow start and while still finding themselves down 18 with 15:30 to play the Wildcats started their second half dominance. Freshman Cari Callaway put in back-to-back buckets to cut it to 35-21 with 13:55 left on the clock.
The lone senior Candace Phrance, who pulled in a game-high 11 rebounds, made it a 12 point deficit with a jumper off an assist from do-it-all Wagner. Less than a minute later, Wagner cut it to 36-26 with one of her three three-pointers on the night.
The Griffins sank two free-throws to make it a 12 point game once again, but Wagner and Callaway retaliated with seven straight points to get within five points for the first time since the 9:08 mark of the first half. Callaway hit a jumper on the fast break before Wagner hit another three-pointer. Callaway came back down on the next possession and made it 38-33 with 9:50 to play by hitting the open shot.
But as quickly as the Wildcats cut it to a five-point game, Chestnut Hill opened it back up to as many as 13 and the Wildcats ran out of steam down the stretch, unable to get to within single digits the rest of the game.
Wagner paced the Wildcat offense with her season high 15 points, while Callaway finished with 12 points on 6-of-12 shooting. Wagner and Callaway each collected five rebounds as well. Phrance added four points to her 11 boards while Kim Walton tallied seven rebounds as well.
All 11 players that saw action scored at least two points for Chestnut Hill. Tenisha Townsend-Mobley was the lone Griffins in double figures, scoring 11 points in the win. Lindsay Alexander chipped in with six points but added a game-high 11 rebounds, six on the offensive glass.
Chestnut Hill had the advantage at the charity stripe for the game, sinking 17-of-28 while the Wildcats were held to 0-for-4 from the foul line.
Wilmington remains on the road for one more game this week, as they head to Nyack on Saturday for a 1 p.m. tip-off.