Boxscore
PIKE CREEK, Del. – Senior guard Kyle White led all scorers with 27 points, including his 1,000th career point at Goldey-Beacom College, but it came in a losing effort as Dominican took a 36-28 halftime lead and hung on for a 70-65 victory in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference play at the Joseph West Jones Center on Saturday afternoon.
White, who came into the game needing just 10 points to reach 1,000 and did so with his first made basket of the second half, became the fastest player to reach 1,000 points in the school's history. A transfer from Delaware State, White is in just his second but final season with GBC.
Junior guard Sam McDuffie had another commendable performance as well, recording 14 points and team-highs of nine rebounds and four assists. Junior Jon Crawford pitched in with eight points as well.
The Lightning had already secured a No. 2 seed in the upcoming CACC playoffs. They will host a quarterfinal game against either Chestnut Hill College or Wilmington University on Mon. night, 7 p.m.
Head Coach Chuck Hammond utilized his bench today as the Lightning were playing their third game of the week leading up to the conference quarterfinals to be played this Monday night. The Lightning would outscore DC in bench points, 33-8 as a result, but it was not enough as four of the five Charger starters scored in double-figures.
Leon Porter, DC's leading scorer coming in, tallied a team-high 17 points to go with five rebounds and a game-high five assists. Mike Calzonetti poured in 16 points and five rebounds, Almin Hodzic recorded 13 points, seven rebounds and Brendan McManus pitched in with 10 points.
GBC held a 34-28 rebounding advantage, but were outshot 50-percent to 42-percent from the field and 65-percent to 61-percent from the free-throw line. The Lightning also turned the ball over 12 times to DC's seven, and the Chargers cashed in for 16 points off of those Lightning turnovers.
For the third consecutive game, GBC dug itself in an early hole, falling behind 19-6 a little over eight minutes into the game. After a three-pointer by Crawford at 5:37, the Lightning were able to cut the lead to seven, but that's as close as they would get in the first half as they took a 36-28 deficit into the intermission.
The two teams traded points at the start of the second half before White scored his 1,000th career point with a layup off his own rebound at 15:38. At the next stoppage of play for a dead-ball, Hammond came out onto the floor and presented White with flowers and balloons in honor of the special achievement.
White, who had struggled from the field in the last three games (14-of-35), seemed to take off once he reached the 1,000-point plateau, scoring 19 of his 27 points in the second half.
Nearing the 12-and-a-half minute mark, sophomore Phil Brooks connected on a three-point field goal off an assist from junior point guard Azeez Ellegood, and the Lightning had cut the Dominican lead to just three, 45-42. But the Chargers stiffened, and by the 6:17 mark, they had extended their lead to 58-47.
Trailing 60-50 with under five minutes left to play, GBC went on an inspired 8-0 run led by six consecutive points by White. After making a three-point attempt at 3:31, White was then fouled on his next attempt at 2:52, and he cashed in with all three free-throws to pull the Lightning within two, 60-58.
A jumper by DC's McManus stopped the bleeding at the two-minute mark and upped the Charger lead back to four, but a conventional three-point play by McDuffie at 1:16 brought the Lightning within one, 62-61.
Right back down the floor came the Chargers though, as Porter killed all Lightning momentum with a trey at the 55-second mark to all but seal a DC victory. The Lightning turned the ball over on their next possession and then promptly fouled Porter to stop the clock with 38 ticks left.
Porter missed the front-end of a one-and-one, and senior forward Troy Esquilin grabbed the rebound. White then drove to the hoop and drew a foul with 35 seconds left, but could only make 1-of-2 on his trip at the line to cut the lead to 65-62.
DC missed three more free-throws down the stretch, but the Lightning could not capitalize on the other end, turning the ball over once more and then misfiring on a three-point attempt to let DC grow its lead to 69-62 with 19 seconds left in the contest. White made a three-pointer with 11 seconds left in the game, and McManus made 1-of-2 at the line for DC with eight seconds left to give the game its final score of 70-65.
Before the start of the game, Hammond honored the Lightning's three seniors, playing in their last regular season game at the Jones Center: Troy Esquilin, Anthony Parham and Kyle White.
