WILMINGTON — A.I DuPont and Ursuline didn’t let the threat of a little snow deter them from getting together for a top-10 girls basketball matchup on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The Raiders got hot from long distance early in the second to pull away from the Tigers on the way to a 78-56 win.
Shots were not falling for the Tigers in the early going, but their aggressive approach resulted in several offensive rebounds and trips to the foul line. Unfortunately, they struggled from there as well, and Ursuline took advantage of the opportunity.
Taylor Brown put the Raiders on top, 4-3, and GG Banks added two more almost immediately after a steal. Brown was on fire in the first, driving to the hoop over and over and adding a three-pointer on the way to 11 points in the stanza. The Raiders’ pressure defense caused several turnovers, helping them to a 24-10 advantage after one.
Sydney Hilliard got the scoring started in the second with a three that cut the Tigers’ deficit to 11. But A.I., ranked sixth in the state by Delaware Live, would score just four more points before halftime, and Ursuline pulled away. Brown and Banks answered the A.I. triple with one each, followed by another for Claire Gordon and another for Brown.
A.I.’s offense picked up after halftime, with Amanii Brice scoring 8 and Hilliard adding 7, but Banks and Brown helped keep the Tigers from cutting into the lead.
Brown finished with 28 points, and Banks had 25, for the top-ranked Raiders, who played just their third home game of the season. Ursuline (9-1) is at Saint Mark’s on Thursday at 7:15 p.m.
For the Tigers, four players finished in double figures: Hilliard (16), Ny’Aijah Jackson (13), Brice (11) and Jourdyn Henderson (11). A.I. DuPont (9-3) visits Glasgow on Thursday at 3:30 p.m.
Photos by Mike Lang.
