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Press Release Written By Sports Information Graduate Intern MaryKate Rumbaugh
NEWARK, Del. – The Wilmington University women's basketball team held on late to take the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference South Division match up against Holy Family Wednesday night, 70-65 at the WU Athletics Complex for senior day.
The Wildcats (8-18, 8-10 CACC) kept their playoff hopes alive as Goldey-Beacom lost to Georgian Court Tuesday night as both teams are now tied in the CACC with a record of 8-10.
The Wildcats took a 10-point lead to start the first quarter thanks to an 8-2 run. Graduate student Macy Robinson would hit her second made three of the quarter to increase the lead to 16-8, but the Tigers (8-18, 6-12 CACC) finished the quarter on a 7-2 run, decreasing the Wildcats lead into the second quarter, 18-17. Her second three-pointer moved her into the lead in program history with 233 made three-pointers.
Jadyn Whitsitt started the second quarter with a made trey, but Holy Family would get the next two baskets to tie the game at 21 a piece with 8:35 to play. Back and forth action would continue for the next eight points as the Tigers tied the Wildcats at 25. Only up by two, Wilmington would call their first timeout of the game with 3:10 to play until halftime, which helped the Wildcats go on a 10-0 run and take a 39-27 lead into halftime.
Slow coming out of halftime, neither team would hit a shot until Holy Family made a layup with 7:50 left in the third quarter. Wilmington would score the next six points, forcing the Tigers into their first timeout of the half with 6:02 to go. Macy Robinson would make one free throw to put the Wildcats up 46-29, before Holy Family cut the lead to six after going on a 10-0 run with 3:17 left. The Tigers would get within seven the rest of the quarter as Robinson and Nyree Grant finished out the quarter with the last four points to give WilmU a 52-41 lead into the final quarter.
WilmU would stay hot to begin the fourth quarter, going on a 7-0 run to take their largest lead of the game of 18 with 7:07 left in regulation to make it a 59-41 lead. Holy Family did not stay quiet though, as they went on a 14-4 run to cut the Wildcats lead down to 65-58 with 1:28 to play, and forcing Wilmington into a timeout. The Tigers would hit their fourth three of the quarter with 39 seconds left to make it a 65-61 game, before having to foul Kiara Eubanks, sending her to the line to make two free throws and give WilmU a six point lead of 67-61.
Holy Family would score two more times and cut the lead down to three, making it 68-65 with 19 seconds left, but Jadyn Whitsitt would go to the line for the final time of the night to give the Wildcats a 70-65 lead to secure the win for the Wildcats.
Macy Robinson led the Wildcats on senior day with 17 points, going 6-14 from the floor, while fellow senior Nyree Grant notched a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Freshman Emily Ansah scored a season-high 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds, as Kiara Eubanks finished with 12 points. Jadyn Whitsitt finished with 11 points and four assists in the contest.
The women have their final game of the regular season Saturday when they travel to Goldey-Beacom for a 1:00 p.m. start. With a win over the Lightning, the women can secure the fourth and final playoff spot in the South Division.
