CLAYMONT – Bridget Malloy came to play when Archmere’s girls basketball team hosted Villa Maria (Pa.) on Dec. 6 at Moglia Fieldhouse. The senior scored 27 points and added 13 rebounds as the Auks moved to 2-0 with a 48-36 win over the Hurricanes.
The Auks had just two field goals in the first half, with Malloy connecting on both. Archmere also took nine foul shots in the quarter, a result of their control of the offensive boards. They complemented the offense with a tight defense, often holding Villa Maria to a single shot. The Hurricanes could not get much going in the first.
Malloy (St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Glen Mills, Pa.) opened the scoring in the second with a step-back three, and after a Hurricanes hoop, Maddie Benson (Incarnation Parish, Mantua Twp., N.J.) hit from underneath on a fourth-chance shot. Archmere went cold from the field after that, but their defense did not rest. The Hurricanes could not close the gap between the teams, although a runout layup from Anna Vickers did cut the Archmere lead to 18-11.
Villa Maria got as close as 20-17 and had a chance after an Auks turnover to climb even closer, but they could not take advantage. Archmere had the last chance of the half after a Hurricanes turnover, inbounding the ball under their own net with 2.1 seconds to go. Sara Boyer (St. John the Beloved Parish) caught the ball outside the three-point arc and drained the triple to extend the advantage to six at the break.
The Auks held Villa Maria to six third-quarter points, three each for Sophia Tray and Anna Bora, and were able to extend their lead by four. Malloy made both of her team’s field goals, and the last five points of the quarter came from the free throw line. The Hurricanes shot better in the fourth, but they were unable to contain Malloy, who had eight in the fourth, including an old-fashioned three-point play, and Benson added two field goals inside.
Malloy had six blocks and five steals to go along with her other numbers, and Benson finished with eight points. The Auks (2-0) host Tower Hill on Dec. 9 at 6 p.m.
Tray led the Hurricanes with 13.
Photos by Mike Lang.
