MEDIA, Pa. - - On the back of a 17-point run spanning the third and fourth quarters, the Wilmington University women's basketball team earned its first victory of the season, defeating Penn State Brandywine, 75-51, on Thursday night inside the Brandywine Commons Gym.
After Penn State Brandywine (4-14) scored a bucket to beat the buzzer to tie the game at the half, the two played the third quarter close until the game-deciding run. The Wildcats (1-17) won the third quarter, 21-6, before closing out the game with a 24-15 fourth quarter.
The entire first quarter was played within four-points, with Mya Nisbet's three-pointer with 33 seconds left giving the Wildcats their largest lead, 17-13. But the Lions hit a pair from the free throw line to cut the lead in half, 17-15, after the first. There were four ties and four lead changes in the quarter.
The Lions started the second quarter on a 5-0 run, taking a 20-17 lead. Samiyah McFarlane hit a three-pointer to tie the game once again before five straight points from Armani Bell-Jackson gave the Wildcats a five-point lead. Tianna Neal gave the Wildcats a 29-24 lead before a free throw from Mya Nisbet gave the Wildcats their largest lead of the quarter, 30-24 with 1:23 left in the frame. But the Lions responded, scoring the final six points of the quarter, including a steal and bucket to beat the buzzer to tie the game, 30-30, at the break.
The Wildcats raced to a 38-32 lead in the first half of the third quarter but the Lions again dwindled the lead to 38-36 a minute later. But the Wildcats would take the game over from there, starting their game-defining run with a jumper from TyKeisha Hill. A jumper from Armani Bell-Jackson gave the Wildcats their first double-digit lead, 46-36, before Emma Brown, Neal, and McFarlane all scored again before the end of the third quarter, taking a 51-36 lead into the final frame.
The run continued into the fourth quarter with two free throws form TyKeisha Hill and a final bucket from Hill for a 55-36 lead. The Lions cut the deficit to as few as 14 points, but the Wildcats officially put the game away with another 10-0 run, taking a 67-43 lead. They took their largest lead of the night on a Bene Butler three-pointer, taking a 26-point lead.
TyKeisha Hill paced the Wildcats with 16 points, shooting 7-of-11 from the floor. She also added seven rebounds and five blocked shots. Armani Bell-Jackson came off the bench to score 13 points while Emma Brown added nine points and 13 rebounds. Sparkle Leigh scored eight points while adding 10 rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Reynah Rattliff scored six points but also had 10 rebounds, and seven assists.
The Wildcats shot a season's best 38.0 percent from the floor, including hitting a season's best seven three-pointers.
The Wildcats return home for their next contest, as they welcome Bridgeport to the WU Athletics Complex on Saturday. Due to the incoming storm this weekend, the games have been moved up an hour, with the women's game scheduled to start at 12:00 p.m.