VIDEO: Wildwood edges GCHS, moves to brink of division title

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

WILDWOOD – The Wildwood High School girls basketball team has moved to the brink of a division championship and has remained undefeated by the slimmest of margins.

The Lady Warriors jumped out to a 10-0 lead to start the game, before eventually posting a 32-31 victory over Gloucester Catholic Thursday afternoon.

Wildwood improved to 13-0 overall, 7-0 in Tri-County Classic Division games. Gloucester Catholic dropped to 11-4, 6-2.

Wildwood can clinch the division title with a win Friday at Salem, a team the Lady Warriors beat, 71-32, last week at home, and at least one victory against Pennsville in two games against the Eagles later this month.

A 19-11 surge over the late stages of the first quarter and the entire second quarter brought Gloucester Catholic within two at 21-19 at the half. The teams then went back and forth during a low-scoring second half.

An Imene Fathi free throw with 23 seconds to go gave Wildwood a 32-29 lead. Gloucester Catholic then scored a layup with 11 seconds remaining to move within a point. Fathi missed the front end of a one-and-one with eight seconds to go and, after a Wildwood foul, the Rams threw an in-bounds pass toward halfcourt in an attempt to get off a desperation shot. But Fathi tipped the pass and the buzzer sounded before Gloucester Catholic could collect the ball and get off a shot from the halfcourt area. 

Fathi led Wildwood with 16 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Ava Troiano added eight points.

Wildwood Catholic also won by a point in the teams’ first meeting of the season, picking up a 50-49 win on Jan. 6.

The victory was also important to Wildwood’s chances of securing the top seed for the South Jersey Group I Tournament. The Lady Warriors are in a battle with Woodbury for the top position.