WILMINGTON — Colin Hockenbrock scored 20 points 13 of those in the second half, as St. Elizabeth defeated St. Georges, 52-41, in a nonconference boys basketball game Dec. 11 at the St. E Center. With the win, the Vikings remained undefeated on the young season.
The Vikings controlled play throughout, but neither team shot particularly well in a first half that ended with St. Elizabeth on top, 19-16. The scoring picked up after halftime, with Hockenbrock playing a central role.
The third quarter began with a block by the senior forward. Teammate Jaden Dickerson collected the loose ball and went coast to coast to put St. Elizabeth up by five. The Hawks battled back to tie. First, Blake Bryant hit a baseline three-point shot, and Kevin Paden converted a steal into a transition bucket.
Nasir Brown hit the Vikings’ lone three-pointer later in the third, but Hockenbrock was the main weapon in the final minutes. He scored his team’s last seven points, including an old-fashioned three-point play following a steal that made it 31-23 St. Elizabeth with 2:56 left. He nearly had two more points in the stanza, but his third-chance shot from in close came just after the buzzer. The lead was five heading into the fourth.
The Vikings maintained a modest lead through most of the fourth. They enjoyed a significant edge in time of possession thanks to solid defense and rebounding, but they were unable to create more space between themselves and the Hawks. St. Georges had shooting woes of its own, however, and the Vikings were able to slowly build the lead.
The advantage reached its peak at 15 when St. Elizabeth taking a 48-35 lead with about a minute to go. But Marcus Edmond drained a three-pointer and was fouled with 51.7 seconds remaining, and the four-point play cut the deficit to single digits. The Vikings made enough free throws down the stretch to keep the Hawks at bay.
Hockenbrock was one of three Vikings in double figures. Dickerson and Tyler Tillinghast added 11 each. St. Elizabeth improved to 3-0 and visits Wilmington Friends on Friday at 6 p.m. The Quakers are also 3-0.
For the Hawks, Bryant had three triples on his way to a team-leading 11 points. St. Georges (0-2) begins a three-game homestand Dec. 17 against William Penn at 5:15 p.m.
