Boxscore
PIKE CREEK, Del. – Freshman forward Devonne Richardson’s conventional three-point play nearing the two-minute mark provided the Goldey-Beacom College women’s basketball team with a five-point lead, and later, her free-throw with 10 seconds left in the game sealed a pivotal, 56-52 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference victory Thurs. night at the Jones Center.
After taking a 15-point lead (42-27) at the 12:04 mark, the Lightning’s lead dissipated when USP scored 21 of the next 29 points over the next 9:20 to pull within two, 50-48. But the freshman Richardson stepped up for GBC, converting an extremely tough, off-balance six-foot shot from just outside the paint while drawing a Devil foul, and then draining her free-throw to complete the three-point play and give her team a more comfortable five-point cushion (53-48).
The Devils would not go away though, pulling within three at 2:08 (53-50) on a Caitlin Shaw layup, and then again with 58 seconds left (55-52) on two Shaw free-throws. Shaw, who led all scorers with 20 points to go with six steals and five rebounds on the night, came up with one of those six steals with 45 seconds left and looked to feed a seemingly open Devil teammate for an easy bucket. But out of nowhere came redshirt-freshman guard Ashley Rosario with an outstanding hustle play to get a hand on the pass and deflect it out of bounds. Consequently, the Devils were unable to score on that possession, or for the rest of the game, as Richardson’s 1-of-2 trip at the line with 10 seconds left in regulation sealed a 56-52 victory for the Lightning.
With the win, the Lightning (11-9, 7-5) remain in third place in the CACC South Division standings while USP (9-9, 5-6) falls to fifth-place. Wilmington, who was idle tonight after defeating USP on Tues. night, is now fourth. GBC also avenged an earlier 50-47 loss at USP on Jan. 7 and evened the season series.
Richardson led the Lightning with 16 points and nine rebounds, nearly recording her third consecutive double-double. Redshirt-sophomore guard Jacinda Jones was the only other Lightning scorer in double-figures with 13 to go with a team-high four assists, a block and three steals.
Neither team shot particularly well from the field, but GBC shot 35 percent to USP’s 29 percent and converted 4-for-8 from three-point range to just 2-for-10 by USP. The Lightning also distributed the ball much more effectively with 14 assists to the Devils’ seven.