Boxscore
PIKE CREEK, Del. – The Goldey-Beacom College women’s basketball team avenged an earlier loss this season to Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference foe, Chestnut Hill College, as the Lightning erased a four-point halftime deficit and dominated the second half to defeat the Griffins, 65-50 on Tues. night at the Joseph West Jones Center.
Redshirt-sophomore guard Jacinda Jones led all scorers with 20 points, and freshman forward Devonne Richardson posted her third consecutive and fifth double-double of the season with 16 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Lightning (10-9 overall, 6-5 CACC) to their 10th victory of the season. With the win, GBC has already surpassed its win total (9) from last season.
The Lightning struggled shooting from the field in the first half, making just 7-of-25 shots (28 percent) and a mere 1-of-6 (17 percent) from three-point range, but found themselves down by just four (23-19) at the break as CHC only managed 30 percent shooting on 9-of-30 from the field.
Trailing 29-25 almost three minutes into the second half, GBC completely took the game over with a 24-5 run in the course of almost 10 minutes. The Lightning shot a scorching 57 percent (16-for-28) from the field and 50 percent (3-for-6) from three-point range in the final frame while holding the Griffins in check at 29 percent (9-for-31) and 0-for-8 three-point shooting. They also dominated on the boards, 26-12 after a 20-20 deadlock in the first half.
Jones scored seven of the Lightning’s first nine points as GBC jumped out to an early 9-2 lead a little over three minutes into the game, but right back came CHC, winners of the last meeting between these two schools on Dec. 12, 60-54. A three-pointer by Carley Glass (three points, four assists) and two baskets by the Griff’s leading scorer, Chanta’l Hardy tied the game at nine apiece at the 13:25 mark.
Two free-throws by Jones and a layup by junior forward Arielle Alford (two points, seven rebounds) gave the Lightning a four-point cushion (13-9) and later a three-point field goal by junior guard Janae Weldon (five points, six assists, three rebounds) padded GBC’s lead back up to four after the Griffs had closed within one. But leading 17-13, the Lightning surrendered eight straight unanswered points to CHC’s Jessica Pruiti (14 points) and fell behind 21-17 with 3:51 to play in the first half.
Freshman forward Irene Hudson (nine points, six rebounds) stopped the bleeding after a 4:21 scoring drought by the Lightning to bring her team within two, but Hardy’s layup with 20 seconds left in the half proved to be the last points scored in the half as the Griffins, dead-last in the CACC South Division, took a 23-19 lead into the intermission.
Picking up right where she left off in the first half, Jones hit two consecutive three-point field goals within the first minute of the second half to put the Lightning up two, 25-23. Lindsay Alexander (15 points, six rebounds) answered for the Griffs with six straight unanswered points on two layups and two free-throws as CHC took back the lead, 29-25.
Freshman guard Ashley Rosario’s 1-of-2 trip at the free-throw line cut CHC’s lead to three and began what amounted to a 24-5 Lightning surge. Richardson scored 13 points during the surge as GBC took a 49-34 lead with 7:30 left in regulation.
CHC could only pull within 12 from that point on, as the Lightning led by as many as 17, and won the game by a 15-point margin, 65-50.
The Lightning now look to again avenge a close loss on the road earlier this season as they host another CACC South Division opponent in the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia (USP) at the Jones Center on Thurs. night at 6 p.m. The Devils won the last meeting on Jan. 7 at their home floor, 50-47.