NEWARK, Del. - - The Wilmington University women's basketball team dropped a nonconference contest to Kutztown on Saturday afternoon, 87-31, at the WU Athletics Complex.
The Wildcats (0-12) got off to a slow start, shooting just 3-for-13 in the first quarter while missing all six of their three-pointers. The Golden Bears (4-8) hit 7-of-16 from the floor in the first quarter, hitting on 3-of-9 from deep to take control of the contest.
Daja Claiborne gave the Wildcats the early lead with the first bucket of the game, but then the Golden Bears answered with a 13-0 run. Emma Brown and Tianna Neal scored buckets in the first quarter, but the visitors took a 20-6 lead into the second quarter.
The Wildcats scored the first three points of the second quarter, but the Golden Bears used another 8-2 run to jump out to a 28-11 lead. Brown and TyKeisha Hill put in buckets but the Golden Bear ended the quarter on a 5-0 spurt to take a 35-16 lead into the locker room. Kutztown turned 15 Wilmington turnovers into 20 points at the other end in the first half.
The three-pointers started to fall for Kutztown in the third quarter, hitting the first two in route to an 8-0 start and a 19-2 run to take a 36-point lead. Kutztown won the third quarter, 26-6, to take a 61-22 lead into the final frame.
The lead grew to as large as 58 for the Golden Bears with another 26-point fourth quarter before settling on the final score, 87-31.
Daja Claiborne and Emma Brown led the Wildcats with six points each as Claiborne added four rebounds and Brown added three. Aniyah Bond had five points while Jasmine McDuffie added three points and a team high six rebounds. TyKeisha Hill added three points and five rebounds while Armani Bell-Jackson collected four assists and four rebounds.
The Wildcats have one final game prior to the mandatory NCAA Division II Holiday Break, as they host American International on Friday afternoon at the WU Athletics Complex. The opening tip is set for 1:00 p.m. against the Yellow Jackets.
