Box Score Philadelphia, Pa. - (12/15/2016) – With a slight advantage in the turnover (9-11) and rebounding (18-16) columns and a 14-point first-half performance from junior guard Demetrius Isaac (Philadelphia, Pa.), Chestnut Hill College took a 41-39 halftime-lead into the locker rooms. But a dynamic second half from Wilmington University placed four Wildcats in double figures - including a near triple-double and excluding a near double-digit blocking effort – in a 52-point period that propelled them to a 91-74 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) win. The Griffins also placed four players in double figures; Isaac led the Chestnut Hill College quartet with a season-high 21 points.
 
With 14 lead changes and seven ties, the first half was a highly competitive frame. Chestnut Hill College (4-7, 1-3) was first to separate by more than a basket, doing so on a backdoor connection from graduate guard J.J. Butler (Bel Air, Md.) to sophomore forward Tony Toplyn Jr. (Sicklerville, N.J.) at 15:22 (10-6). That Griffin lead lasted less than a minute as Wilmington University (7-5, 3-1) took an 11-10 lead on a three point basket from junior guard Nick Richards (New Castle, Del.) at 14:30. The visitors separated by five points, 23-18, midway through (10:22) the period, only for Chestnut Hill College to reestablish their four-point perch, 28-24, on a Toplyn basket at 7:35. Still the contest tied three more times before intermission, leaving junior forward Ed McWade (Wildwood, N.J.) to nudge the Scarlet and Gold ahead with the last basket of the frame, 41-39 (0:53).
 
The game took a different course in the second half as the Wildcats put it all together, taking the lead for good at 17:33 (45-44) and expanding it to double-digits at 9:47 (67-56). A McWade three throw at 4:45 brought the Griffins back within six points, 73-67, but that is as close as Chestnut Hill College would get with Wilmington University capitalizing on a 58.3% (37-of-67) – 31.3 (10-of-32) second-half shooting advantage.
 
Richards' 30 points led the Wildcats in scoring, but senior guard Tyaire Ponzo-Meek (Wilmington, Del.) and senior forward Tajee Almon (Gloucester City, N.J.) played major roles as well. Ponzo-Meek fell a rebound shy of a triple-double with nine boards in addition to his 15 points, 10 assists, and three steals. Almon welcomed Richards help (one block and two steals) on the defensive end; he finished with nine blocks and three steals in addition to his six points and three rebounds. Senior guard Drew Johnson II (Lancaster, Pa.) (22 points) and sophomore guard Omari Dill-Pettiford (Newark, N.J.) (12) were the other two Wildcats to reach double figures.
 
In his 21-point performance, Isaac hit all his thee point attempts (3-of-3, 1.000) and free throws (4-of-4, 1.000) while grabbing three rebounds and handing out three assists. Toplyn finished with 14 points, six rebounds, an assist, two blocks, and a steal. Butler factored in the final box score as well with three points, two rebounds, seven assists, and four steals. Off the Chestnut Hill College bench, junior center Chris Evans (Norristown, Pa.) offered 13 points, a team-high eight rebounds, and a block while freshman guard Billy Miller (Pine Hill, N.J.) contributed some solid perimeter shooting (3-of-7, .429) in his career-high 11-point performance.
 
The Chestnut Hill College men's basketball team continues their winter-break home stand on Monday, December 19, when they host the University of the Sciences for an 8:00 p.m. CACC contest.