William Penn alums Jaiden Guy and Jaylin Horsey combined for 28 points as Division II Wilmington University stunned Delaware 71-62 Friday afternoon.
Games involving Division II and Division I games count as exhibitions for Division II teams, but Wilmington took advantage of an error-prone and injured Delaware team to earn the biggest victory in program history.
It’s the third Division II victory in these types of matchups during opening week, with larger schools often paying the Division II school for a guaranteed home game.
Delaware’s Mason Ellison tied the game at 50-50 with 12:22 left, only to see Wilmington respond with a 16-2 run over the next eight minutes, with Tre Hawkins scoring 6 of his game-high 21 points in the crucial stretch.
The Blue Hens jumped out to a 13-7 lead over the first five minutes, but a 14-2 Wilmington University run flipped the game to a 6-point Wilmington lead, and they would hold a 38-37 advantage at the break.
Delaware took their final lead of the game at 47-46 with 14:13 remaining on a free throw by Christian Bliss, who led the Hens with 13 points.
Delaware high school alums played crucial roles for the Wildcats in the win.
Jaiden Guy had a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds on 7-11 12 shooting from the floor.
His fellow William Penn teammate dropped 10 points in 36 minutes, while Dover High School’s Denim Perkins ran the point with 4 points, 4 assists, 5 steals, and 3 rebounds.
Wilmington University officially begins its season next Friday at the University of the District of Columbia.
The official loss moves Delaware to 0-2, and things don’t get any easier, as they travel to No. 8 BYU for a game on Tuesday.