Press Release Written by Nathan Foltz
LAKEWOOD, N.J. - - It was a grind, but the Wilmington University men's basketball team got the last shot to fall when it mattered most on Tuesday, defeating Georgian Court in Lakewood by a final score of 68-66 in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference matchup on a final-second Jaiden Guy layup.
Wilmington improves to 8-10 overall and 4-6 in conference with the win, while Georgian Court slides to two spots below them in the standings at 3-7 and 6-12 overall.
Shooting was again a struggle for the Wildcats, as their 40.0% field goal percentage was below their season average for the third game in a row. The three-point shooting in particular prevented them from creating any sustained separation in the contest, with the team going just 3-18 (16.7%) beyond the arc. The good news was that Georgian Court didn't fare much better, only hitting 2-16 (12.5%) from distance in the game. Wilmington also won the rebounding battle 41-34, including 19-9 in offensive boards.
Despite that slow shooting pace, Wilmington built a 23-13 lead to start the game over the first 11:30 of play, their largest lead of the night. The Lions chipped away from there, though, and a 10-4 run over the final three minutes of the first half made it a 34-31 game going into halftime, though the scoreboard still favored the Wildcats.
Wilmington worked to a 39-33 lead to start the second half, but things got dicey from there as Georgian Court scored six unanswered to tie it up. Neither team was able to build more than a four-point lead over the final 15 minutes of play, creating a second half that saw six ties and 14 lead changes. Down to crunch time, Jaiden Guy made a layup with 1:16 to go to give the Wildcats a 63-62 lead, but the Lions responded with a layup of their own to retake the lead. Justin Perez hit a deep three off a pass from Guy on the next possession to go up 66-64, but it was tied right back up with two clutch Georgian free throws.
With 24 seconds left, Wilmington played for the final shot. Guy brought it across the arc to the nearside, handed it off to Akeem Taylor, got the ball right back, then drove through two Lions to the hoop for a lay-in off the glass. The clock read 0.9, and Georgian Court's Hail Mary was nowhere close, securing the Wilmington victory.
The game's hero, Jaiden Guy, finished with 12 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Justin Perez led all scorers with 18 points, shooting 8-14 from the field and draining two of the team's three three-pointers. Tre Hawkins just missed posting a second consecutive double-double, finishing with 15 points and nine rebounds, plus two blocks. Akeem Taylor also had double-digit points with 11 and added five rebounds.
The Wildcats will host Bridgeport on Saturday at the WU Athletic Complex in what they hope will be a revenge game after the Purple Knights defeated them 98-74 in their first conference match of the year. Tipoff is penciled in for 3:00 P.M. following the women's contest.