NEW CASTLE, Del. – Sean Simon's go-ahead 3-pointer with 33 seconds remaining turned out to be the game-winner, as the USciences men's basketball team held on for a 73-70 win at Wilmington on Wednesday night. 

The result moves the Devils within a half-game of the Wildcats for the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) South Division's final CACC Tournament berth with two and a half weeks remaining in the regular season. 

Simon had also given USciences a 69-68 lead with a layup 52 seconds earlier, before Wilmington regained the advantage with 1:06 to go. 

It was Tommy Gardler, who led the Devils in scoring, finding Simon for the game-winner. 

University of the Sciences got an initial stop but only made 1-of-2 free throws, leading to one final Wildcat 3-pointer that missed at the buzzer. 

Gardler's 15 points tied a season-best and came on 5-of-6 field goals and 4-of-4 free throws. 

Simon and Omari Salvi were right behind him with 13 each, while Austin Kennedy was also in double-figures with 10. 

Matthew McCaffrey and Darryl Brown Jr. both had team-highs of seven rebounds and four assists, with McCaffrey setting a new season-best in boards and Brown Jr. in dimes. 

Brown Jr., who made 5-of-6 free throws, helped USciences make a season-best 15-of-17 from the line, compared to Wilmington's 6-of-12. 

He, along with Simon and Jaako Juusela (seven points), also helped the Devils bench outscore the Wildcats' 27-10. 

Wilmington led throughout the entirety of the first half, but not more than two possessions until a 3-pointer made the score 35-28 3:10 ahead of the break. 

The Wildcats took a game-high nine-point advantage, 38-27, 1:15 later, but it was a Simon triple that got USciences within five, 39-34, entering the locker room.  

University of the Sciences tied the score for the first time, 49-49, on two Brown foul shots with 10:48 remaining. 

That was part of 13 unanswered scored by five different Devils that gave USciences its largest advantage, 56-49, when Garlder made two free throws with 9:36 left.  

Wilmington evened the score back up at 62 with 4:46 to play, before the teams would go on to trade six lead changes and one more tie over the final 3:28, the last of which was Simon's trifecta.  

University of the Sciences continues its three-game road-trip at Post this Saturday at 1 p.m.