NEWARK, Del. - - Armani Bell-Jackson scored 30 points on Senior Day, but Dominican scored late to defeat the Wilmington University women's basketball team, 68-66, to close out the 2025-26 season on Saturday night at the WU Athletics Complex.
The 30-point outburst is a new career high for Armani Bell-Jackson, and the first 30-point game for a Wildcat since now assistant coach Amber Washington scored 30 points at Post on February 10, 2024.
It came down to the final possessions for the Wildcats, but it was a steal and a foul for the Chargers that sealed the deal. They hit two from the line with seven seconds left and a last-ditch tip-in effort at the buzzer was off the mark as Dominican escaped with the win.
It was a close game throughout with the largest lead being a 10-point game in the second quarter. The Wildcats raced out to a 6-2 lead, but the Chargers answered and took a 12-9 lead. The Chargers took as large as a 21-14 lead in the first quarter, but Bell-Jackson beat the buzzer, scoring a bucket to make it a 21-16 game after the first quarter.
Dominican took a 28-18 lead early in the second quarter, but five points from Bell-Jackson cut the deficit in half. A three-pointer from Samiyah McFarlane brought the Wildcats to within 30-27 before another McFarlane triple had the Wildcats to within 33-30. Bell-Jackson was again able to beat the halftime buzzer, hitting a jumper in the paint to send the game into the break with the Wildcats trailing 37-35.
Another Armani Bell-Jackson three-pointer had the Wildcats within one, 41-40, but the home team could never flip the script. Dominican took the lead back out to as many as six points before finally taking a 55-50 lead into the fourth quarter.
Dominican was able to maintain a six-point through through the first half of the fourth quarter, but then Bell-Jackson and Emma Brown hit back-to-back buckets to bring the Wildcats to within 60-58. Dominican was able to regain control, opening a 65-58 lead with 2:45 to play. But then Bell-Jackson converted an old-fashioned three-point play and Sparkle Leigh hit two from the line to make it a two-point game with 1:46 left. Dominican hit one from the line for the three-point lead and out of a timeout, it was Armani Bell-Jackson sinking a three-pointer from the corner, tying the game, 66-66, with 17 seconds left.
The Wildcats got a stop on the defensive end, but a turnover on the ensuing inbounds play after a timeout gave the ball right back to Dominican. The Chargers were able to hit both from the line. The Wildcats had one last chance with 0.4 on the clock, but the tip-in effort from Emma Brown was off the mark as the buzzer sounded.
Armani Bell-Jackson shot 11-of-22 from the shooting, hitting three three-pointers for 30 points. Emma Brown finished with 11 points and five rebounds while Sparkle Leigh finished with nine points, six rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Reynah Rattliff dished out nine more assists in the game.
The Wildcats finished the 2025-26 season with a 1-27 record, going 0-20 in CACC play.
