BEAR — This one certainly had a postseason feel leading up to the game, and the on-court action that followed definitely did not disappoint. Ursuline and Caravel, ranked first and second in the state in girls basketball, respectively, by Delaware Live, went toe-to-toe for 32 minutes, with the Buccaneers getting a thrilling 67-63 victory.
Caravel’s gymnasium was filled a half hour before tipoff, with fans waiting outside in case anyone left. Those who did get inside saw the Raiders jump out to an 11-0 lead, with the two precocious freshmen, Jezelle “GG” Banks and Taylor Brown doing all the scoring. The Raiders caused a few turnovers and were getting rebounds, and Banks and Brown were off and running. Of the 11 points, eight came on layups; the other three were courtesy of a Banks step-back three-pointer that wowed the crowd.
Anaya Price got Caravel on the board with 5:20 remaining in the first with a three-point shot from the corner, and that got the Buccaneers going. Ursuline finished the first with an 18-9 lead, but the second quarter was a different story.
Caravel’s Chastity “Speedy” Wilson opened the scoring with a layup, and a follow shot from Jordin Tate quickly closed the gap to five. The Bucs asserted themselves on the boards, turning those second and third chances into points. Price connected from three to get Caravel to within a pair at 20-18, and Cherish Bryant tied it up shortly thereafter.
Chamira Marshall Brothers immediately untied the game with a three ball for the Raiders, but Wilson ran back down the court and tied it again. The Bucs took the lead, 28-27, on Price’s third triple of the evening with 2:10 left in the half. The Raiders scored the next four points, but Brycelyn Stryckning converted an old-fashioned three-point play to send the game into halftime tied at 31.
The teams came out shooting in the second half. Brown had a pair of layups sandwiched around one from Bryant, but Wilson turned an errant Raiders pass into a three to put Caravel back on top, 38-37, two minutes into the third quarter. That spurred the Bucs, who outscored the Raiders, 17-8, over the remainder of the quarter to take a 10-point lead into the fourth. Nine of those points came from the free throw line as Caravel continually drove the ball inside and drew contact.
The Raiders scored two quick field goals to get within six, but the Buccaneers responded. Tate sent in a left-handed scoop shot, and Wilson hit a pair of technical foul shots. Wilson then drove down the lane and banked in a 10-footer to extend the Bucs’ lead to 61-49 with 6:11 left.
Ursuline, however, was not done. Skylar Bolden collected an offensive rebound and deposited it to end the Bucs’ run. Banks scored the next four, the second pair on free throws after Jazzlyn Wesley blocked three shots at the other end.
The Buccaneers got the lead back to eight at 65-57, but the Raiders chipped away, cutting the lead to 65-63 after Brown rebounded a missed Caravel shot and ran the length of the floor for a layup with 1:13 left. The Bucs, however, burned 30 seconds off the clock before Wilson found an opening and scored, providing the final margin.
Unofficially, Wilson finished with 24 points for the Buccaneers. Bryant had 15, and Price added 11. Caravel improved to 14-2 and plays its final three regular-season games on the road, beginning Feb. 13 at 6:30 p.m. at Smyrna.
For Ursuline, Banks led the way with 30, and Brown had 23. The Raiders (11-4) are home Saturday vs. Woodbridge. Tipoff is at 1 p.m.
Photos by Mike Lang.
