NEWARK, Del. - - The nationally fifth ranked University of the Sciences were slowed, but couldn't be stopped by the Wilmington University women's basketball team on Tuesday night, as the Wildcats fell, 55-39, in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference South Division battle at the WU Athletics Complex.
The Wildcats (6-18, 6-10 CACC) held the Devils (25-1, 16-1 CACC) to just 32.3 percent shooting from the floor, including just 19.4 percent from beyond the three-point arc, but couldn't do enough on the offensive side of the ball themselves to pull the upset. The Wildcats shot 29.8 percent from the floor (17-for-57) and just 2-for-13 (15.4 percent) from distance.
The difference on Tuesday night proved to be the second quarter, as the Devils extended their two-point first quarter lead to a 31-19 advantage at the halftime break. The Wildcats were within two points, 19-17, and within three moments later, 22-19, but the Devils rattled off the final nine points of the second quarter to take the 12-point halftime lead.
The run continued with the first two buckets of the third quarter for the Devils, and all the Wildcats could do in the third quarter is match the Devils, scoring the final four points of the frame to head into the final quarter down 39-27.
Mikala Casimir put in a layup to get the Wildcats to within single digits early in the fourth quarter, 40-31, but the Devils answered with a 6-0 run of their own to extend the lead back out to 15 with 6:05 left in regulation.
Jadyn Whitsitt brought the Wildcats back to within 12, 49-37, but the Devils regain composer and took their largest lead of the game, 55-37, with 2:18 left in the fourth quarter.
Whitsitt was the only Wildcat in double figures, scoring 11 points while adding four rebounds. Nyree Grant led the team with 10 rebounds, scoring six points as well. Macy Robinson added eight points and four rebounds for the Wildcats.
The Wildcats have three CACC South Division bouts left in the regular season, starting with a road trip to Philadelphia to take on Chestnut Hill on Saturday. The Wildcats and Griffins will tip-off at 1:00 p.m. inside Sorgenti Arena.
