Boxscore
PIKE CREEK, Del. – The Goldey-Beacom College women's basketball team erased a six-point deficit in the final 3:27 as they came back to defeat Post University, 68-63 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference play at the Joseph West Jones Center on Sat. afternoon.
Clutch play inside by sophomore forward Akilah Sewell (10 points, four rebounds) and timely shooting by senior guard Janae Weldon (11 points) helped lift the Lightning to victory and end their three-game losing skid.
The Lightning (10-10, 8-5 CACC) also got plenty of help from sophomore forward Irene Hudson and senior forward Arielle Alford. Hudson came off the bench to record her first double-double of the season and third of her career with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Her last double-double came in the Lightning's win over Post last season on Feb. 25, 2010. Alford continued her strong play inside with 14 points, eight rebounds and a game-high four blocks.
Post's Monique Chance led all scorers with 17 on 6-of-14 shooting and also led the Eagles with 10 rebounds. Raven Wright-James pitched in with 12 points and three rebounds off the bench.
GBC out-shot Post 46-percent to 40-percent from the field in the first half, but the Eagles kept it a 34-33 game at intermission by forcing nine Lightning turnovers and turning them into 14 points. Chance and Alford scored 10 points apiece to lead their respective clubs.
After a Chance jumper opened the scoring to put Post ahead 35-34, Goldey-Beacom answered with a 6-0 run to claim a 40-35 lead only to let the Eagles pull back ahead with an 8-0 response of their own. Wright-James' three-pointer at 15:39 made it 43-40 Post, and the Eagles would cling to the lead until under the one-minute mark in regulation.
A conventional three-point play by Mallorie Michalak (nine points) gave Post its largest lead of the half, 63-57 with 3:27 left to play. The Lightning then immediately started going inside to Sewell, and the 6-foot-1 forward used her power and strength inside to score the game's next three points and cut the Eagles' lead in half.
Following a Post timeout, GBC came up with a big defensive stop when Alford blocked Chance's shot and grabbed the rebound. The Lightning then quickly worked the ball up the floor and Sewell was able to find Weldon open for a three-ball, and the team's senior co-captain knocked it down to send the game to its ninth tie, 63-63.
The Lightning defense forced a Wright-James three-point miss on the next possession, and then Hudson attacked the basket at the other end and drew an Eagle foul to send her to the line for two. She made the first and missed the second, but still GBC had its first lead since the 16:47 mark, 64-63 with 46 seconds remaining.
The next Post possession, the Eagles turned the ball over as Casey Brooks made an errant pass that went out of bounds. Goldey-Beacom inbounded to Weldon, and Post fouled her with 27 seconds left.
Weldon, who was 2-for-2 on the day at that point, could not make it a three-point game as she made 1-of-2 at the line to only put the Lightning in front, 65-63. Again Post could do nothing with the opportunity to tie or win the game as the Eagles turned it over once more with 22 seconds left.
The Lightning then opted to put the ball in the hands of Sewell, who had made 5-of-6 at the line for the day. She too could only make 1-of-2 at the stripe, and it was still a one-possession game (66-63) with 20 seconds remaining.
Despite leaving three points on the board with 3-of-6 shooting at the line, the Lightning avoided overtime when Chance's three-point attempt with eight seconds left rimmed out. Hudson pulled down the defensive rebound and alertly fed Weldon. Brooks fouled Weldon to stop the clock with seven seconds, but Weldon canned both free-throws to seal the 68-63 victory.
The Lightning have now won the last four meetings in the series with Post. They also improved to 9-6 at home with this win.
GBC now faces a three-game road swing starting with a Wed. night clash with Chestnut Hill College at 6 p.m.
