Home Local Sports Archmere boys drop hoops heartbreaker at Tatnall by one point: Photo gallery

Archmere boys drop hoops heartbreaker at Tatnall by one point: Photo gallery

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Isaiah Sales led all scorers with 21 points for Tatnall. Here, he launches a shot from three-point range. Dialog photo/Mike Lang

GREENVILLE — In their first two games this season, the Archmere boys basketball team posted a one-point victory, then an overtime loss. So it was no surprise that the Auks’ matchup at Tatnall on Jan. 8 came down to the final buzzer. Trailing by a point, a layup attempt bounced off the glass and missed the cylinder, and the Hornets celebrated a 46-45 win.

Chris Albero scored nine first-quarter points to help Archmere to a five-point lead after the first eight minutes. It was Miles Kempski, however, who added the final three points, beating the buzzer with a three-pointer. Jon Dearing opened the second quarter with a triple of his own, and the lead was eight, the biggest the Auks would enjoy all day. It was a five-point game at haltime.

The Hornets came out buzzing to begin the second half. Caleb Sales drained a three, and Isaish Sales picked up a steal and ended that play with a follow shot to tie the score at 26. Albero responded with a three, but Tatnall got consecutive hoops from #5 to go back ahead by one with 4:20 to go in the third. Scott Lucarelli scored, and Dearing had an old-fashioned three-point play and a backdoor layup, putting the Auks ahead, 36-32, heading into the fourth.

Drew Duncan sank a three early in the fourth, pushing the Auks’ lead to seven, but the Hornets were not done. They fought back to knot the score at 41, with Isaiah Sales getting the equalizer on a three with 2:32 to go. He added a free throw to put Tatnall on top by a point.

Lucarelli restored a one-point lead for the Auks by going backdoor again, but Isaiah Sales hit on a slashing drive. The Auks turned the ball over with about a minute to go, and after a timeout, they put the press on the Hornets’ inbound. Tatnall, however, beat the press, which ended with a layup for Eli Baffone, increasing the lead to three. Albero ran downcourt and scored once more, and the Hornets held a single-point advantage.

Archmere’s defense got the ball back for the offense with fewer than 20 seconds to go, and after the ball was knocked out of bounds by the Hornets, the Auks inbounded one final time with approximately 10 seconds remaining. A lane was open, but the last layup attempt would not fall.

Isaiah Sales led the Hornets with 21 points, with Caleb Sales adding 10. Tatnall (5-0) will host Sanford on Thursday at 5:15 p.m.

Albero finished with 16 for Archmere, and Dearing had 14. The Auks are home Monday at 6:15 p.m. against First State Military.

All photos by Mike Lang.