Boxscore
PHILADELPHIA – Junior point guard Azeez Ellegood scored the Lightning's final six points as Goldey-Beacom closed the game out on an 8-2 run to defeat the host Holy Family Tigers, 67-61 Thurs. night in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference play at the Campus Center.
HFU's Khiry Hankins made two free-throws at the 2:54 mark to bring the Tigers within one, but the Lightning took back control of the game with a Terrence Parkes layup and then six straight points by Ellegood to shut the door on the Tigers in the rematch of last year's CACC quarterfinals which GBC won last year at the Jones Center.
The win was GBC's second straight as the Lightning improved to 4-2 (2-0 CACC) and sent HFU to its sixth straight loss to start the season and its second in-conference.
Ellegood was one of four Lightning players to score in double figures. Senior guard Kyle White scored a team-high 17, Parkes recorded his first double-double of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds, and senior forward Troy Esquilin was one rebound shy of his second straight double-double with a season-high 12 points and nine rebounds.
The Tigers out-shot GBC from the field 42.2 percent to 37.7 percent, but the Lightning held a slight advantage in rebounds (43-41) and forced 18 HFU turnovers to their 14.
In the first half, the Lightning stormed out to an early 10-4 lead, but HFU came back with an 8-2 run to knot the score at 12 at the 12:54 mark. Then, when GBC started to pull away at 17-12, HFU ran off six straight points to take their first lead of the night, 18-17. Ultimately, the Lightning broke a 24-all tie with 10 of the game's next 14 points to move in front 34-26 with 1:01 left in the half, and took a 34-30 lead into the intermission.
The Lightning, 2-0 when leading at halftime coming into tonight's game, was in for a battle in the second half. The Tigers, trailing 40-34 at the 16:47 mark, went on a 6-0 run to tie the game. White answered with a three for GBC at 12:32, but HFU's Rickie Crews made two lay-ups to give the Tigers their first lead of the half, 44-43.
With 6:30 left, Justin Swidowski gave HFU a game-high two-point lead (53-51) on a made lay-up, but GBC came back with four consecutive points to retake the lead, 55-53. Kahlil Mumford put the Tigers ahead for the final time (56-55) by connecting on a three-pointer at the 4:40 mark, but a steal by Lightning junior guard Sam McDuffie turned into an Ellegood lay-up to put GBC ahead to stay.
The Lightning are back in action on Sat. afternoon as they visit CACC foe Chestnut Hill College at 3 p.m.
Notes: White and Parkes have now scored in double-figures in all six of the Lightning's games.
McDuffie, who scored five points tonight, is just three points shy of tying Jeremy Jeanne for fifth-place on the all-time scoring list with 600 points.
