Boxscore
NEW CASTLE, Del. - Junior point guard Azeez Ellegood split two Wildcat defenders, sprinted down the floor and created for himself an open look at what would have been the winning running jump shot from inside the paint with two seconds left on the clock, but his attempt hit the front end of the rim and bounced out as the visiting Goldey-Beacom College men's basketball team could not overcome a few costly mistakes late in the game, and lost a heartbreaker, 68-67 against intra-city rival Wilmington University Tues. night at the Pratt Center.
The Lightning (15-6, 9-3 CACC) looked to have the game well in hand, up 58-48 with 9:07 left to play, but six turnovers in the last nine minutes, including three in the final two-and-a-half minutes, proved costly. The Wildcats improved to 8-13 overall and 5-6 in the conference while evening the season series between these, the only two Division II schools in the state of Delaware.
Wilmington's Brandon Savage (five points, 10 rebounds) was sent to the line at the 2:24 mark with GBC ahead, 55-50. He made the first to cut the lead to four, but missed the second. Junior forward Terrence Parkes grabbed the rebound for the Lightning, but they were then whistled for a 10-second violation for not getting the ball past the mid-court line.
That triggered a huge momentum shift as the opportunistic Wildcats took advantage of the Lightning miscue with a Vernon Dupree (15 points, six assists) mid-range jumper to close the gap to two, 55-53. The Lightning misfired on the ensuing possession, and the Wildcats' most lethal outside shooter, Blake Rubenstein (16 points, six assists) connected on a jumper to send the game to just the second tie of the night at 55-all.
Two consecutive trips down the floor, the Lightning turned the ball over, but Wilmington was not able to take advantage either time. Finally, senior guard Kyle White let the shot clock run down to about five seconds and the game clock to 17 seconds before draining a clutch jumper to give the Lightning back the lead, 57-55.
But Anonio Sherrod, the game's leading scorer with 20 points, had the answer for Wilmington, driving to the basket and converting an and-one layup with 10-seconds left in regulation to tie the score at 57. He then made his free-throw for the conventional three-point play to give the Wildcats their first lead since the 5:09 mark in the first half.
Sherrod's free-throw proved to be the difference in the game as Ellegood misfired on the ensuing Lightning possession, and the Wildcats stole a 58-57 victory from GBC.
The two teams were very even, statistically. Perhaps the biggest discrepancy was the Wildcats' 56-percent shooting from the field to the Lightning's 50-percent. Wilmington also held a slight 25-24 rebounding edge and had 19 assists to the Lightning's 16. Both teams turned the ball over 14 times, but the difference being nearly half of the Lightning's miscues came late in the game at crucial junctures.
All five Lightning starters scored in double figures. White scored a team-high 16 points and senior forward Troy Esquilin tallied 15 points on a perfect shooting night (7-for-7 from the field, 1-for-1 from the free-throw line). Also, junior guard Sam McDuffie recorded 13 points, Ellegood pitched in with 11 points and a game-high six assists, and Parkes had 10 points.
GBC, 5-0 to this point in games following a loss, will again look to regroup when the Lightning go on the road to face CACC foe Post University in Waterbury, Conn. The game was originally scheduled for Sat., Feb. 6, but was postponed due to snow. Tip-off is at 8 p.m.
