ORANGEBURG, N.Y. - - The Wilmington University women's basketball team led after the first quarter, but was hurt by a 14-5 second quarter, falling to Dominican, 53-45, in its first game of the New Year on Saturday in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference battle in the Hennessy Center.
The Wildcats (0-13, 0-6 CACC) took their largest lead to cap the first quarter, getting a layup from Emma Brown for a 12-7 lead. That was the lead the Wildcats took into the second quarter. But the Chargers (4-8, 2-3 CACC) took the lead with 5:19 to play in the first half, 15-13, and never relinquished it.
The Chargers started the second quarter on an 11-1 run before the Wildcats made their first field-goal of the quarter with 3:53 to play before the halftime break. The layup from Armani Bell-Jackson brought the Wildcats to within 18-15, before another Bell-Jackson jumper brought the Wildcats to within 21-17 after the halftime break.
A Mya Nisbet three-pointer early in the third quarter had the Wildcats to within a single point, 23-22, while a Sparkle Leigh jumper again had the Wildcats to within one, 25-24, with 6:06 left in the third quarter. The Chargers went on an 8-2 spurt, opening the scoring to 33-26, but just as the Wildcats got the game to within five late, the Chargers hit a three-pointer and ended the quarter with a jumper, taking a 40-30 lead into the final frame.
Buckets from Samiyah McFarlane and TyKeisha Hill had it to a 40-34 game, but the Chargers answered with a 7-0 run, taking their largest lead of the game, 47-34. The Wildcats kept scoring to stay in the game, but couldn't get the stops they needed, as the Chargers kept the visitors at bay. Reynah Rattliff hit a three-pointer with 43 seconds left to cut the deficit to eight, but they couldn't score again, settling on the final outcome, 53-45.
TyKeisha Hill led the Wildcats with nine points while adding seven rebounds and two assists. Reynah Rattliff had eight points and a game-high 11 rebounds, and game-high five assists. Emma Brown added eight points and nine rebounds while Sparkle Leigh chipped in with seven points and five rebounds.
The Wildcats open the WU Athletics Complex for the 2026 calendar year with their next contest, hosting Chestnut Hill on Tuesday night. The women start the CACC doubleheader with a 6:00 p.m. opening tip.