Copyright 2015; Wilmington University. All rights reserved. Photo of Zameria Jones by Frank Stallworth.
NEWARK, Del. - - The Wilmington University women's basketball team outlasted Molloy in overtime, 77-74, to improve to 2-0 on the year on Saturday evening in the final game of the CACC-ECC Challenge at the WU Athletics Complex.
The Wildcats jumped all over Molloy (1-1) in the first quarter, 25-18, and carried a 45-38 lead into the halftime break. The Golden Lions battled back to close the gap to a two-point margin after the third quarter and then outscored the Wildcats 12-10 in the fourth to send the game into overtime.
Zameria Jones hit a pair from the free throw line with 37 seconds left in regulation to tie the game. After getting a stop at the other end, Taylor Bolden had a chance to win the game at the buzzer, but her shot was off the mark, forcing the overtime period.
Jones put the Wildcats up early in the overtime period, hitting a jumper on the first possession, 72-70. The Golden Lions collected two offensive rebounds and converted on the third possession to tie the game at 72 at the four-minute mark.
Following a pair of defensive stops, Jones was fouled in the act and again stepped to the foul line. The junior sank both free throws and the Wildcats led from there on out. Freshman Jordan Hawkins put home a layup with 1:51 showing on the clock for the four-point lead, but the Golden Lions could only cut the lead to two-points the rest of the way.
Bolden made the first of her two free throws and Emma Matthews grabbed a defensive rebound after Molloy's attempt to tie the game with a three-pointer.
The Wildcats jumped out the large lead late in the first quarter, after Molloy took a 16-15 lead with 1:57 remaining. Matthews hit a three-pointer to take the lead before Jones hit back-to-back shots for the 7-0 run and a 22-16 lead. Two different Golden Lions hit the front end of a pair from the free throw line but Matthews was fouled in the act of attempting a three-pointer at the end of the quarter and was able to convert all three from the line for the 25-18 lead.
The lead grew to as large as nine points as late as the 3:37 mark of the second quarter and the Wildcats scored the final three points of the half to take a 45-38 lead into the break.
A 6-0 run by the Golden Lions to start the third quarter brought the game back to square one but the Wildcats regained momentum with a three from Matthews and a free throw from Hawkins for the 60-53 lead. But a 5-0 run to end the quarter allowed the Golden Lions to cut the deficit to 60-58 after three.
The Golden Lions tied the match, 60-60, with a layup at the 6:44 mark and the teams were on the see-saw until there was four minute left in regulation. Molloy grabbed a late lead with a free throw and a layup, 67-64, and another three-pointer gave the visitors a 70-66 lead with 1:10 remaining. Hawkins put home a layup on the next Wildcat possession before Jones tied the game with a pair from the free throw line with 37 seconds left.
Jones led the offense with 25 points off the bench, shooting 8-for-17 from the floor and 9-of-12 from the foul line. Spence finished with 15 points while Hawkins and Matthews added 13 points each. Matthews finished with a double-double with 11 rebounds while Hawkins added nine boards.
The Wildcats will look to go 3-0 to start the season for the first time since the 2008-09 season when they head to Lincoln (Pa.) on Wednesday. The first tip is set for 7:00 p.m.
