WILMINGTON — Archmere’s girls basketball team continued its strong season on Feb. 8, pounding the ball inside and limiting Saint Mark’s offensive opportunities in a 62-28 win at the 76ers Fieldhouse. The game was part of the SL24 Memorial Classic, raising money for the UnLocke the Light Foundation in its fight against mental illness and depression.
The first four points of the game – three of those belonging to Archmere – were free throws before the Auks began hitting field goals. Izzy Gioffre got things started with the games first bucket with 4:45 left in the first, although the Spartans’ Serena Pluta answered with a short turnaround jumper that made it 5-3 Auks.
But that would be Saint Mark’s lone field goal of the quarter. Gioffre hit another basket, and Fiona Teaney banked in a three-point shot as part of a 9-2 run to end the first.
Gioffre continued her inside attack into the second. She scored the first two buckets, the second coming on a follow of a Teaney miss, prompting a Spartans timeout just 35 seconds into the stanza. The lead reached 20-5 before Maddie Lenick hit a jump shot for Saint Mark’s first points of the second at the 6:09 mark.
The Auks’ game plan followed a familiar pattern: pressure the ball in the backcourt and trap the ball-handler once the Spartans crossed halfcourt, cause turnovers or a bad shot, and turn defense into offense. Maddie Stewart and Lauren Kim added three-pointers before the half ended with the Auks on top by 20.
They kept the offense coming in the third, including two more threes from Kim and Elise Angiullo. The Spartans, not known for shooting from beyond the arc, also had a pair of triples. Those came from Alyssa Cresto and Ellie Cummings.
Three Auks finished in double figures: Gioffre (16), Kim (11) and Stewart (10). Archmere won its ninth straight to improve to 13-4 and will host First State Military on Monday at 3:45 p.m.
Cresto paced the Spartans (11-5) with 11. They travel to Delcastle on Thursday at 3:45 p.m.
