GREENVILLE — The Archmere girls basketball team found itself trailing host Tatnall, 11-4, late in the first quarter. The Hornets were making shots, and the Auks were struggling with shooting and ball control.
Archmere used its considerable height advantage to climb back into the game, taking a brief lead late in the second quarter, then dominated the third quarter on the way to a 53-41 win in Greenville. It was the Auks’ first win of the season.
Tatnall’s one-point halftime lead disappeared on a second-chance bucket from Lucy Oliver early in the third quarter. Oliver came up with a steal after that, and although she missed on her shot attempt, and a second Archmere shot was off the mark, Ceci Connolly connected on a third chance to extend the lead to three.
The Hornets’ Jordan Cooke temporarily tied the score, 22-22, on a three-point shot, but the Auks would score the next 13 points to create some distance between themselves and Tatnall. The run started with a three-pointer from Bridget Malloy — Archmere’s lone triple of the afternoon — followed by a Connolly layup, Oliver from mid-range, and Sofia Hoffman in transition, prompting a Hornets timeout.
When play resumed, Oliver scored off an offensive rebound, then hit from the paint to extend the lead to 35-22. Claire Watson went for a conventional three-point play to end the run, but Tatnall was forced to play catch-up the rest of the day.
When they weren’t collecting rebounds on the offensive end, Archmere’s bigs were causing trouble for the Hornets on the other side of the court. Connolly, Oliver, Malloy and Grace Mahoney blocked or altered a number of Tatnall shots, and they limited the Hornets to a single opportunity on most possessions.
Oliver and Malloy combined for 14 points in the fourth quarter, offsetting a valiant effort by Watson, who scored seven in the final stanza.
Oliver finished with a double-double at 22 points and 12 rebounds, while Malloy had 13 points. Connolly went for 8 points and 20 rebounds, many on the offensive end. Archmere (1-2) continues its season-opening road trip on Thursday at Ursuline, with tipoff scheduled for 6 p.m.
For Tatnall, Watson led the way with 21 points. Cooke added 8. The Hornets (0-3) host Unionville (Pa.) on Friday at 6:30 p.m.
All photos by Mike Lang.
