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PIKE CREEK, Del. – In what was a highly-anticipated intra-city rivalry game featuring two former local high school teammates going head-to-head, the Goldey-Beacom College women's basketball team won a thrilling Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference contest against Wilmington University Tues. night in the Joseph West Jones Center by a score of 70-67.
The Concord High School graduates, redshirt-sophomore Jacinda Jones (GBC) and senior forward Amelia Simmons (WU) lived up to the billing, each leading their teams with 21 and 22 points, respectively, and a packed crowd at the Jones Center witnessed an epic showdown between the only two Division II teams in the state of Delaware, located just 10 miles from one another.
For third-year Lightning head coach Jen Carleton, it was her first win against Wilmington, snapping a four-game losing streak in the series.
The game featured 12 ties and 13 lead changes, but in the end it was GBC's bench outscoring WU's 29-9, and a 39-28 Lightning rebounding advantage that propelled the home team to victory. GBC outscored Wilmington 36-24 in the paint and capitalized on 12 offensive rebounds to score 17 second-chance points.
Freshmen forwards Akilah Sewell (11 points, seven rebounds) and Irene Hudson (16 points, six rebounds) again provided a huge lift off the bench for the Lightning, who won their fourth straight game and improved to 3-4 in the conference and 7-8 overall.
Wilmington opened the game with an 11-1 run over the first three and a half minutes, and extended that lead to 18-6 with 14:36 to play in the half. GBC countered with a 10-0 spurt over the next four minutes, cutting the Wildcat lead to just two (18-16) with 10:24 left on the clock. The Lightning took their first lead with 2:38 to play (30-28), and the action remained close in the closing minutes of the period. A Simmons jumper sent the 'Cats into the locker room holding a slim 34-32 advantage.
The two squads traded baskets for much of the second half, as neither team could pad itself a comfortable lead at any point throughout the night. Wilmington did lead by as many as seven (51-44) with 12:14 to go, while GBC got going late and had a five point lead (68-63) with 1:55 left on the clock. The Wildcats cut into that lead with a Kim Parker jumper and a pair of free throws, and trailed by just one (68-67) with 32 seconds remaining. After two missed free throws by the Lightning, the 'Cats had a chance to win it, but a missed layup ruined their chances. Sewell would ice the game with two free throws on the next possession and a desperation half-court shot at the buzzer by Shantel Brown was way off the mark, leaving GBC with a 70-67 victory.
The Lightning will look to even its overall and conference records on Sat. night as they travel to CACC foe Caldwell College for a 6 p.m. showdown with Coach Carleton's alma mater.
