The snowball effect took hold of Wilmington in a nonregion matchup with Kennedy Catholic.

The Greyhounds closed within five points of Kennedy Catholic late in the fourth quarter, but a turnover led to a messy final few minutes. The Golden Eagles (7-2) were 7 of 14 from the foul line in the fourth to seal the victory.

“We were within five in the fourth quarter with three minutes to go and we had a critical turnover,” Wilmington coach Mike Jeckavitch said. “We fouled to try and extend the game, and they made their free throws.”

The Greyhounds (4-6) didn’t make a 3-pointer in the game and didn’t have a player crack double digits. Anthony Derrick led Wilmington with nine points and five steals. Darryl Pace added eight points.

“We just basically shot ourselves out of it,” Jeckavitch said. “I thought the kids played with a lot of effort and intensity, but when we don’t make shots, it’s a struggle.”

Mack Hartman of Kennedy Catholic scored a game-high 10 points.