New Castle, DE – (2/15/2011) – A Wilmington University rally fell short in this evening's Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) contest, as a one-sided final minute delivered Chestnut Hill College to a 64-59 win over the Wildcats. The home team started off strong and finished just the same, but four free throws from junior guard Uros Kovacevic (Kotor, Montenegro) and a layup from junior guard Brandon Williams (Philadelphia, PA) preserved the victory and set a program record for conference wins as the Griffins improve to 8-7 in CACC play and clinch their third straight CACC Championship Tournament appearance.
Chestnut Hill College (11-12, 8-7) controlled a 48-38 lead midway through the second half (10:35), but behind junior forward Matthew King (Phoenixville, PA) and freshman guard Herbert Dennis (Hurlock, MD) the Wilmington University (7-16, 5-9) narrowed the gap to one, 58-57, in the final minute (0:55). In a Whirlwind of action a hard Kovacevic drive forced a foul and the first pair of converted free throws, a Williams layup, and another pair of Kovacevic free throws later the Griffins owned a 64-59 victory and a season sweep of the Wildcats.
King totaled 18 points and ten rebounds as the top performer for the Wildcats. Dennis contributed 14 points while sophomore guard Isiah Mason (Philadelphia, PA) chipped in 11 points.
In an evenly played affair the Griffins earned their victory at the free throw line. Kovacevic led the way hitting 9-of-10 (90.0%) from the charity stripe to make good on an aggressive effort. He finished with, a season-high, 16 points. Williams totaled 12 points while sophomore guard Francis Ashe (Greenbelt, MD) was effective on both ends of the court with 11 points, four assists, two blocks, and two steals. Junior center Dan Comas (Philadelphia, PA) hustled to eight rebounds despite being held under ten points for only the third time this season; he scored seven points.
The men's basketball team welcomes Concordia College (NY) to campus on Saturday, February 19, for a 3:00 p.m. contest. The Griffins will be doing their part in the fight against Breast Cancer in addition to recognizing their senior class as they join the women's team in hosting the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) PINK ZONE and Senior Day in the last scheduled home contest of the season.
