GREENVILLE — Ursuline’s basketball team had not played a game in 10 days, but it was hard to tell in the Raiders’ meeting with Concord at the Diamond State Classic on Dec. 29 at Tatnall School. Ursuline made its first 10 shots from the field as they defeated the “other” Raiders handily, 59-23.
Concord came into the game with just eight players available, and they ran into a red-hot Ursuline squad in the early going. Hannah Kelley opened the scoring with a layup 40 seconds into the game, and she followed that with a corner three that swished through the net. Abby Grillo joined the scoring column immediately after to finish the opening run at seven points.
Hannah Dawson drained a mid-range jumper to get Concord on the board, but Ursuline scored the next 15 to take control. That run began with another corner three, this one from Ella Gordon, and three inside field goals from freshman Jordin Tate. A transition bucket by Chamira Marshall-Brothers in the final minute was the last of 10 consecutive made field goal attempts by Ursuline. That one made the score 27-3.
The big lead allowed coach John Noonan to get his entire roster on the floor for extended minutes. Katherine Lange nailed a three-pointer at the outset of the second quarter, and she added a follow shot shortly thereafter. The other player to stand out in the second was sophomore Jazzlyn Wesley, who found herself open underneath a few times on her way to seven points in the quarter.
The highlight of the second half came at the end of the third quarter. Ursuline freshman Ellie Carter-Soriano caught an inbounds pass in the corner in front of the Raiders’ bench with .7 seconds left. She caught the ball and quickly sent up a shot that hit the rim, then the backboard before falling through as the buzzer sounded.
Tate finished with 10 points to lead Ursuline, which had 10 players on the score sheet. Wesley had eight. Ursuline combined to make seven three-point shots. The Raiders (4-3) are off until Jan. 8, when they host St. Elizabeth for a 6:45 p.m. start.
Megann Dombchik had two late three-pointers to pace Concord with six points. The maroon Raiders fell to 0-5 and visit Brandywine on Jan. 8 at 12:45 p.m.
All photos by Mike Lang.
