WILMINGTON — St. Elizabeth’s boys basketball team turned to a familiar formula when it met William Penn in a highly anticipated matchup Dec. 14 at the St. E Center. Employ a pressing, aggressive defense to create opportunities on offense, then start firing away on the other end. It worked in the opener last weekend against St. Andrew’s, and it was very effective again in an 86-67 win over the Colonials, ranked third by Delaware Live Sports.
The teams came out playing at an incredible pace in front of a standing-room only crowd. The Vikings, who entered the game ranked fifth, are capable from striking inside and out, and both were on display from the tip. Aiden Tobiason got the scoring started, stripping the ball from a Colonial underneath the net and flushing home a two-handed tomahawk. That got the St. E’s student section, already on their feet, a bit more wound up.
The quarter was competitive, however, with the Colonials taking a 13-11 lead on a pair of free throws by Rashid Ushery. Julius Wright tied it up with a slashing layup down the lane, and Tobiason converted a steal by Kenneth Hunter Jr. into the go-ahead field goal. Two three-pointers in the final 33 seconds of the first, including a buzzer-beater by freshman Kiyen Alexander, extended the run to 10-0 and the lead to eight.
William Penn increased its scoring in the second, as seniors Elin McCoy and Jaylin Horsey heated up from beyond the arc, but the Vikings turned it up to another level. Three was the magic number in the quarter. Alexander drained a corner triple to open the scoring, and Steven Nixon Jr. pilfered a Colonials pass and went in for a layup, then added a free throw after being fouled to bump the lead to 14.
The Colonials shot their way back to within nine in the final minute of the half, but Julius Wright hit a reverse layup and was fouled; he completed the three-point play. The lead was 13 at the break.
Tobiason picked up his third personal foul early in the third and spent much of the period on the bench, but that didn’t hurt the Vikings’ offense. Instead, Penn took advantage of his missing defense. Emmanuel Vonhm, the Colonials’ scoring and rebounding machine, pounded the inside for 10 points during the third, and Horsey traded the long-distance shots for drives and mid-range jumpers.
The Vikings led by 15 with 30 seconds to go in the third, but the Colonials got a free throw from Horsey to shave one point off the deficit. After a St. Elizabeth turnover, Vonhm grabbed a blocked shot and laid it in with 6 seconds left. Horsey then stole the inbounds pass and dropped it in as the clock expired. William Penn was within 10 heading into the fourth.
The Vikings erased any doubt with a 12-2 run to open the fourth. Wright began the barrage with a layup, and Tobias Reese and Hunter added threes. That extended the lead to 20 less than three minutes into the fourth.
Six Vikings scored in double figures. Wright led the way with 22. He was joined by Tobiason and Reese with 15 each, Alexander and Nixon with 11 each, and Hunter with 10. The team made 12 three-point shots. St. Elizabeth (2-0) plays its road opener in its next outing on Dec. 21 at 5:15 p.m. at St. Georges.
For William Penn, Horsey had 23 and Vonhm 14. The Colonials fell to 1-1 and are off until Dec. 26, when they will participate in the Governor’s Challenge at Wicomico High School in Salisbury, Md.
All photos by Mike Lang.
