Copyright 2016; Wilmington University. All rights reserved. File photo by Frank Stallworth.
NEWARK, Del. - - The third quarter turned a five-point advantage into a five-point deficit for the Wilmington University women's basketball team as Bloomfield came back to defeat the Wildcats, 78-73, in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference cross division action on Wednesday night at the WU Athletics Complex.
The Bears (11-4, 7-0 CACC) were able to remain unbeaten in CACC play, in large part to a 25-15 advantage in the third quarter alone. That turned a 36-31 Wildcats' (7-8, 2-4 CACC) lead into a 56-51 deficit heading into the final stanza.
The Wildcats were able to out to such a lead in the first half by holding the Bears to a 26.7 shooting percentage in the first quarter. The Bears only went 4-of-15 in the first quarter while the Wildcats shot 5-of-16 but got to the free throw line on 11 occasions, making nine.
Wilmington stayed in the game in the second quarter behind the three-point barrage of redshirt freshman Macy Robinson, as she hit 4-of-5 from deep and went for 14 points in the quarter. Robinson kept the Wildcats ahead at the halftime buzzer, despite being out scored, 17-16, in the second quarter.
The Bears came out of the halftime break on fire, scoring 10 of the first 12 points in the quarter. Bloomfield ended up shooting 11-for-18 in the quarter, including 2-of-4 from three-point territory. Conversely, the Wildcats were only able to hit on 5-of-18 from the field in the stanza. A personal 9-0 run by the Bears' Tianna Smith broke a 47-47 tie, as she hit back-to-back three-points and then converted an old fashioned three-point play to give the visitors the lead for good.
The lead grew to as large as 12 points for the Bears in the fourth quarter before the Wildcats made a game of it late and getting to within five and the final score.
Robinson led the Wildcats with 21 points, the third straight game she has scored 20 or more points. Wilmington got a boost from Ashri Broadwater making her first appearance as a Wildcat, as the senior scored 18 points, going 10-of-12 from the foul line while adding a double-double with 10 rebounds. Lindsay Bradford finished with eight points, six rebounds, and three blocked shots off the bench as well.
The Wildcats take to the road after five straight games at home, as they head to Caldwell for another CACC cross-divisional contest on Saturday. The women start the CACC doubleheader with a 1:00 p.m. opening tip.