Boxscore

WATERBURY, Conn. – All nine Lightning players got into the scoring column as the visiting Goldey-Beacom College women's basketball team used a team effort to defeat Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference foe Post University, 80-72 in a Thurs. afternoon game that was moved up six hours to beat an impending snowstorm.

With the win, GBC improved to 16-10 (12-6 CACC) for the season and clinched at least a No. 3 seed out of the South Division in the upcoming conference playoffs. The Lightning also remained in line to potentially snatch the No. 2 seed from Philadelphia University if they can win their season finale at home against Dominican College on Saturday and the Rams lose both of their remaining games against both of the conference's No. 1 teams – Holy Family (South Division) and Nyack (North Division). The Rams were scheduled to play at Holy Family tonight, but the game was postponed until tomorrow due to snow.

The Lightning featured four scorers in double-figures, as freshman forward Devonne Richardson led the way with team-highs of 15 points, 14 rebounds, six steals and three assists. Fellow freshman forward Irene Hudson provided a huge spark off the bench with 14 points and 10 rebounds, redshirt-sophomore guard Jacinda Jones added 14 points and six rebounds, and junior guard Janae Weldon pitched in with 10 points.

Junior forward Arielle Alford gave GBC a big lift in the second half, scoring all nine of her points in the closing frame to go with seven rebounds and two assists for the afternoon.

Sophomore guards Evebonee Acosta (seven points) and Lindsay Duck (four points), freshman forward Akilah Sewell (four points), and redshirt-freshman guard Ashley Rosario (three points) all got in on the scoring action as well, as GBC tallied its highest-scoring output of the season. The 80 points was also the most the Lightning have scored since Jan. 17, 2009 when they beat Columbia Union (now Washington Adventist), 90-43.

Post, which led the entire first half, was led by Aubrey Latham (23 points, eight rebounds), Mallorie Michalak (18 points, six rebounds, five assists, four steals) and Monique Chance (15 points, six rebounds).

The two teams shot extremely evenly from the floor (GBC – 40.0 percent, Post, 39.7 percent), but the Lightning's rebounding and bench production were the difference as GBC earned its third consecutive win against its CACC foe. GBC held a commanding 57-31 advantage on the boards, outscored the Eagles 34-26 in the paint, and scored 19 second-chance points to Post's nine. Meanwhile, the Lightning reserves came through for 30 points while Post's bench contributed just eight.

The Eagles opened the game on a 6-0 run and led by as many as 13 (21-8) in the first half before the Lightning could find their rhythm. Starting with a pair of Richardson free-throws at 10:24, GBC would score 16 of the next 21 points and pull within 26-24 after two Jones free-throws with 5:24 left before the break.

Post's lead was back to eight after back-to-back three-point field goals by Michalak, but a three-point field goal by Richardson (just her fourth made three-point attempt of the season) completed a 7-0 Lightning run to pull within 34-33 with 1:28 left in the half. The two teams traded baskets after that, and GBC went into the half down by a point (36-35).

Latham would score the first points of the second half to up Post's lead to three, but three consecutive points by Richardson would give the game its first tie, and later a layup by Jones would earn GBC its first lead of the afternoon, 40-38.

In a span of a little over two minutes, the game would feature three ties and three lead changes, but a layup by Jones off an assist from Richardson gave the Lightning the lead for good at the 15:19 mark.

The Lightning twice led by as many as 12 and never allowed the Eagles any closer than six points for the final 12 minutes of regulation as they claimed the 80-72 victory.