Press release written by Mitchell Coll
PHILADELPHIA, PA - - The Wilmington University women's basketball team dropped its first meeting of the season with the University of the Sciences Devils at Bobby Morgan Arena, 68-33, in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference South Division action on Tuesday night.
The Wildcats (1-5, 1-2 CACC) held their own in the first half against the second ranked team in the East Region and No. 21 nationally in the latest D2SIDA Poll. The 'Cats were able to hold a three-point advantage going into the halftime break but could not keep up with the Devil's (6-1, 2-0 CACC) second-half surge.
The Wildcats started the first quarter on an 8-2 run, that would eventually be all-square at 10 apiece after the duration of the period. Kiara Eubanks and Sabreen Muslim carried their momentum from last Saturday's home win into tonight's contest early in the first quarter. Eubanks started the scoring with a jump shot around two minutes into the contest. Moments later Sabreen Muslim scored the next four points for the Wildcats, both off mid-range jump shots.
The Wildcat's defense and rebounding helped them close the first half with a narrow lead of 20-17. As a team, the Wildcats had three steals in the first half, and 26 rebounds total, 19 of them on the defensive glass. Freshman Jade Roberts set the tone on the defensive side, turning defense into offense with a steal and a fastbreak lay-up at 5:38 in the second quarter.
After shooting just 20 percent from the floor in the first half, the Devils caught fire in the third quarter, scoring 27 points on 11-of-14 from the field. The Wildcats were able to stop some of the Devil's momentum in the closing minutes of the quarter. Freshman Daja Claiborne answered with a jump shot from a dish from freshman Skylar Parris at 2:11. Junior Emily Ansah laid in two points from a feed by Jade Roberts to close the scoring in the third. Sabreen Muslim scored five of the team's nine in the third, but the Devils outpaced the Wildcats, 27-9, in the quarter to take a 44-29 lead into the final frame and set the stage for the CACC comeback.
Sabreen Muslim notched her third double-double of the season, including her second-straight, with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting and 11 rebounds. Kiara Eubanks went the distance, playing every minute of the game, finishing with six points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
The Wildcats are back in action for their final home game in the 2021 calendar year against Elizabeth City State on Saturday, December 11th. The Vikings are currently ninth in the latest D2SIDA Women's Basketball Atlantic Region Poll. Tip-off is set for 4:00 p.m.