Home Local Sports Rebounding, defense are key in Padua basketball’s win at Delaware Military: Photo...

Rebounding, defense are key in Padua basketball’s win at Delaware Military: Photo gallery

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Grace Trerotola attempts to take the ball past Maya Hill of the Seahawks. Dialog photo/Mike Lang

WILMINGTON — Padua gave up a halftime lead on Jan. 22 at Delaware Military Academy, but the Pandas overwhelmed the Seahawks in the fourth quarter for a 56-45 victory at the Fusco Athletic Complex. It was the Pandas’ fourth straight win.

Padua led by six at halftime, 30-24, but Delaware Military used a strong third quarter to take a lead for the first time since the game was 7-6 in the middle of the first quarter. Marisa Edevane opened the scoring in third, and DMA kept chipping away until Maya Hill brought them to within a pair at 37-35.

The Seahawks tied it two possessions later on a field goal by Sophia Manuel with 1:35 to go in the quarter. Ellie Standarowski extended the lead to five with a three-pointer with 31 seconds left, but Val McIntyre made a short jumper before the end of the third to cut the DMA lead to 40-39 heading into the fourth.

The Pandas gave the Seahawks fits in the first half with an aggressive defense and a big rebounding edge that helped them open up a lead as big as 11 points, and that aggressiveness returned in the final quarter. McIntyre put Padua back on top with a short jumper, and Kylie Moor added three points to the lead on a free throw, then a short shot after a Delaware Military turnover.

A Pandas defensive rebound led to a runout for Kate MacLennan, whose layup stretched the quarter-opening scoring run to seven. The Seahawks got a single free throw from Edevane before McIntyre scored following an offensive rebound, and MacLennan ended a 40-second possession with a driving left-handed layup as the lead reached nine.

On the other end of the floor, the Seahawks’ shooting cooled off after the 16-point third quarter, and they were confronted by black uniforms all over the court. Jennifer Klumpp managed their lone field goal in the fourth.

Standarowski was stellar for DMA. She hit a pair of threes in the first quarter, while Hill had success driving to the basket. The Pandas, meanwhile, countered with a solid interior game. Esosa Ediae grabbed rebound after rebound, and she turned a few of those into points, and Moor matched Standarowski with two triples in the first quarter.

Moor finished with 14 and McIntyre 13 for the Pandas. They have won six of their last seven and are now 7-5. They host Tatnall on Tuesday at 7:15 p.m.

For the Seahawks, Standarowski had 16 points, while Hill added 12. DMA (7-4) visits St. Elizabeth on Tuesday at 7:15 p.m.

All photos by Mike Lang.