Boxscore
PIKE CREEK, Del. – Senior point guard Azeez Ellegood scored a season-high 23 points to lead the Lightning to victory, 68-60 over Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference foe Post University as the team's co-captain also managed to eclipse the 1,000 points plateau for his career at Goldey-Beacom College.
The diminutive senior leader did it all for the Lightning as he shot a perfect 6-for-6 from the field (5-for-5 3FG, 6-for-7 FT) pulled down six rebounds, dished three assists and snagged four steals in a 40-minute career-day-like performance for head coach Chuck Hammond's Lightning.
Ellegood reached the 1,000-point mark with his first of two made free-throws during his final trip to the stripe with 27 seconds remaining in the game. He scored nine of his 23 in the final four minutes, starting with a three-point dagger at the 3:46 mark to break a 55-55 tie and put the Lightning in front to stay. He made 6-of-7 from the line in the final 1:02 to seal the victory as he was closing in on the milestone scoring mark.
Seniors Sam McDuffie and Terrence Parkes scored 16 and 15, respectively, and Parkes also pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds. The Lightning shot a blistering 47-percent (14-of-30) from the field in the second half to outscore the Eagles 40-29 in the frame and erase a 31-28 halftime deficit. They shot slightly better for the game overall (39-percent to 38-percent) and from long-distance (8-of-19 to 7-of-21).
GBC also held a 39-34 rebounding edge as the Lightning benefitted from great hustle play by senior reserve Ido Yehuda, who grabbed three pivotal rebounds in the final two minutes of the game. Goldey-Beacom also featured a better assist-to-turnover ratio (10/13 to 8/17). The Lightning turned 17 Eagles turnovers into 25 points for the day.
Post was led by reserve Devron Washington, who came off the bench to score 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field (2-of-3 3FG, 4-of-4 FT) and grab five rebounds. Starting guard Cecil Stinson finished with nine points as well.
Elon Howard opened the scoring on the day for Post with a jumper nearly two minutes in, but Goldey-Beacom scored the next eight consecutive points to take a six-point lead. Sophomore forward Lawrence Livingston's jumper made it 8-2 at the 15:32 mark.
The Eagles came soaring right back with a 9-0 response, capped by a jumper by Garvin McAlister to give Post an 11-8 advantage just past the 12-minute mark.
With GBC trailing 16-12 with 9:22 left in the first half, Ellegood knocked down two of his five three-pointers and made a layup during a 13-2 Lightning surge that put GBC in front 25-18 nearing the four-minute mark.
However, Post would close out the half on a 13-3 run and take a 31-28 lead into halftime after a Spencer Smith layup.
Livingston would open the scoring in the second half with a baseline jumper to cut the lead to one, but Post score six consecutive points to up its lead to 37-30 at the 17:17 mark.
Trailing 39-33, McDuffie's layup at 13:40 ignited a 12-0 Goldey-Beacom run that ended with a three-point field goal by the 6-foot-5 senior swingman at 11:46 that gave the Lightning a 45-39 advantage.
Post fought back to tie the game at 55-all after a Washington jumper right at the four-minute mark, but then Ellegood took the game over, starting with his fifth three-point field goal in as many attempts at the 3:46 mark to give GBC the lead for good, 58-55.
Parkes and senior guard Darnell Cephas each put in layups to make it 62-55 with 1:17 left and then Ellegood canned 6-of-7 from the line to close the deal. GBC scored 13 of the final 18 points to go on to win 68-60.
With the win, the Lightning extended their school-record home winning-streak at the Jones Center to nine games and improved to 10-2 at home this season.
Up next for the Lightning is a visit to CACC foe Chestnut Hill on Wed. at 8 p.m.
