WATERBURY, Conn. - - Freshman guard Tenicia Spence led five Wildcats in double figures as the Wilmington University women's basketball team outscored Post University by nine points in the second half but fell, 86-75, on the road in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference action on Saturday afternoon at the Drubner Center.
The Wildcats (0-8, 0-3 CACC) fell victim to another late first half drought, going the final 4:49 without scoring a point while Post (3-3, 3-0 CACC) turned a three point advantage into a 50-30 halftime lead.
Trailing 18-10 with less than 13 minutes remaining in the first stanza, the Wildcats went on an 11-2 run to grab a first half lead. Spence, who scored 20 points for the sixth time in eight games this season, started the run with a layup with 12:05 remaining. After the Eagles went back up by eight on a pair of free throws, junior Allison McDonald started a 9-0 run with a layup with 11:29 to play in the half.
Cari Callaway grabbed her own offensive rebound on the next possession and dished it out to Danielle Thomas beyond the three-point arc that sank a three-pointer to cut it to a three point deficit at 20-17. Thomas again laid one home to make it a one-point game before Callaway gave the Wildcats the lead at 21-20 with 10:01 remaining with a layup of her own.
After a back and forth battle, Callaway again gave the Wildcats the lead with a jumper at 26-25 with 8:44 showing on the scoreboard, but that would be the final lead of the game for the visitors. The Eagles took a five point lead before Spence hit a jumper to make it 33-30 in favor of the home team with 4:49 left in the first half. It would be the last bucket the Wildcats would score in the opening 20 minutes.
Post went on to score the final 17 points of the first half to open a 20 point advantage at the half.
The Eagles took their biggest advantage of the afternoon with 7:27 remaining in the game at 78-55 before the Wildcats closed the contest on a 20-8 run to settle on the final outcome.
Spence shot 9-for-18, going 2-for-7 from downtown, to lead the Wildcats with 20 points. Callaway added season highs of 15 points and six rebounds off the bench for the Wildcats while Thomas hit a team high three three-pointers and added 13 points and five rebounds on the afternoon. Lauren Brown added 12 points off the bench and Tiaja Harrold was the final Wildcat in double figures, chipping in with 10 points and a team high nine rebounds, shooting 6-for-8 from the foul line.
Post had six players in double digits, led by Monique Chance's double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds. Jessica Weber also added 15 points off the bench for the Eagles.
Following an eight game road trip to begin the 2012-13 season the Wildcats are set to make their home debut inside the new WU Athletics Complex for their following contest. The Wildcats will take on Chestnut Hill in part of a CACC doubleheader on Tuesday. The women's game will start at 8 p.m.