PIKE CREEK, Del. – Head coach Chuck Hammond's Goldey-Beacom College men's basketball team, winners of six of its last seven, enters back into Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference play with a home game against USciences on Thurs. night at 8 p.m.
For fans who cannot make the game, there will be a free live webcast via PennAtlantic that is available by using the link on the calendar on the right of the website. Announcer Chris DiGiacomo will have the call.
The Lightning (7-6) are coming off a decisive, 67-52 win against Virginia State in their second and final game of the Doubletree Hotel Richmond Downtown Capitol Area Classic.
After dropping their conference opener at Philadelphia U., 74-55 to fall to 1-5 on the season, the Lightning rattled off five straight wins, highlighted by a thrilling 69-68 upset win against No. 20 Bowie State. Along the way, they won three CACC South Division games by an average margin of 19.3 points, knocked off non-conference foe Millersville, 80-70, and split games in the Capitol Area Classic just before the New Year.
Senior forward Terrence Parkes has been the catalyst as he has garnered CACC player of the week awards the past two consecutive weeks. In GBC's last outing, Parkes pulled down a CACC and school record 22 rebounds to go with 20 points. It was his sixth game this season with 20 or more points. He currently is second in the league in scoring with 19.2 points per-game while leading the league and ranking 11th in Division II with 10.4 rebounds per-game.
Graduate student forward Rich Flemming, who's pair of free-throws with mere seconds left in regulation gave the Lightning the upset win over Bowie State, had a very productive tournament in Virginia for Hammond's squad, averaging 12.5 points and eight rebounds per-game. He scored a season-high 16 points to help lead GBC to a win over Va. State in his last outing.
Meanwhile, USciences features a 6-foot-5 forward in Adewale Adefemi, who is second in the league behind Parkes and 15th in the NCAA with 10.1 rebounds per-game. Adefemi also leads the Devils in scoring at 12.3 points per-game.
The Devils (5-3, 1-1 CACC) have the league's worst scoring offense, averaging just 60.1 points per-game, but also have the best defense in the league, allowing just 61.6 points per-game. The Lightning, who rank No. 1 in the league in scoring margin (+2.8) boast the league's third best scoring offense and fifth best scoring defense.
USciences fared better against two Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference teams that beat Goldey-Beacom, handing West Chester a 45-42 loss and Kutztown an 89-76 loss; however, the Devils fell at Millersville, 64-57 just four days before the Lightning captured an 80-70 victory over the Marauders.
Both GBC and USciences beat Holy Family, but the Devils succumbed to Wilmington, 73-66 just four days after the Lightning walloped the Wildcats, 89-60.
USciences holds an 11-7 series advantage, but Goldey-Beacom has won the last four meetings and is 5-4 all-time against the Devils at the Jones Center.
