Wilmington built an 11-point first-half lead and made it stand in a District 10, Region 2-AA win over Mercer.

“I told the girls we’ve got great senior leadership and to go out and get it for them,” Lady Greyhounds coach Brandy Sanford said. “They took care of business. Give Mercer credit, they stuck it out and battled us.”

The win solidifies Wilmington’s grip on fourth place in the region. The Lady Greyhounds (5-4, 10-8) hold a two-game lead over Reynolds (3-6, 7-10).

District 10 could take four teams from the region for the playoffs.

“This was a must-win and the girls were very aware of that,” Sanford said. “We’re not out of the woods yet; we still have to keep working hard.”

Haley Marett netted 16 points for Wilmington and Mackenzie Hiers was next with eight.

Analise Whenry paced all scorers with 20 points for the Lady M’s (1-7, 4-13).