For The Dialog
WILMINGTON – Seventh seeded Ursuline used a 20-0 run in the second half to defeat archrival and 10th seed Padua, 46-26, on a snowy March 2. The Raiders hadn’t played since Feb. 14, a loss to Sanford, and it showed early.
They only hit one field goal in the opening stanza, and almost every shot was short. The Pandas got baskets from their only two seniors, Camryn Scully and Bella Julian, to grab a 6-2 lead after the first eight minutes. The Pandas extended the lead to 9-4 after three straight points by Michelle Kozicki. Then the Raiders found their shots as senior Maggie Connolly scored on a layup, then hit a step-back three to ignite a 10-4 run. Olivia Mason scored on a putback to finish that run and gave the Raiders their first lead at 14-13. Kay Wulah hit a late three-pointer to give the Raiders a 19-15 halftime advantage.
The Pandas cut the lead to 20-19 with 6:56 left in the third quarter after a Kozciki basket and a pair of free throws by Julian. Then the whole game changed after the Raiders hustled to grab a loose ball, and Connolly found an open Allie Olmstead, who buried a three-pointer to extend the lead to four. The Raiders were just getting started. Connolly hit an NBA-range triple and a pair of free throws, and Wulah scored on a rebound to give the Raiders a 30-19 lead at the end of the third quarter.
The Raiders kept the momentum going in the fourth, extending their run as Ana Olszewski hit a deep three, then draw a charge on the defensive end. Freshman Lauren Dorsey converted an old-fashioned three-point play followed by a pair of free throws. The Pandas finally ended the 20-0 run, which covered more than 11:45 minutes of game time, on a Rachel Delate free throw. Scully made the first field goal for Padua in 15 minutes by scoring inside in the final minute.
The Raiders (10-10) got 13 points from Connolly and 7 from Olszewski. The Raiders will look to avenge a 59-38 loss to Sanford on Feb. 14 when they meet Sunday afternoon at the Bob Carpenter Center. Tip off is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
The Pandas finished their season at 15-7 after only winning five games last year. Kozicki led the Pandas with 7 points while Scully finished with 6.
