CLAYMONT – After not having played since Feb. 18, the Archmere girls basketball team showed some rust on offense, scoring just seven points in their DIAA first-round playoff game against Appoquinimink on March 2 at Mogila Fieldhouse. The Auks’ defense, however, was on point from the opening tip, and the offense broke out in the second quarter on the way to a 58-26 win over the Lady Jaguars.
Archmere, seeded ninth in the 24-team field, will travel to No. 8 Caravel on Thursday for a second-round game.
Appo slowed the pace on offense throughout the first quarter, but they had trouble finding the basket as well. The most notable thing to happen early in the game was foul trouble for Archmere’s Bridget Malloy and the Lady Jags’ Jaslyn Dawkins, both of whom spent most of the first on the bench with two fouls. Appo also lost starting forward Kelsey Beatie to an injury, which would eventually open up the inside game for the Auks.
The game was tied, 4-4, late in the first when Sara Boyer hit her first three-point shot of the night, but Appo evened the score on a three from Addison Costello-Grant with just a few seconds to go.
Sofia Hoffman put the Auks on top for good with a three-pointer to begin the scoring in the second quarter, and Archmere found a groove offensively. Malloy (St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Glen Mills, Pa.) returned to the floor and attacked down low incessantly. She scored on a few short jumpers, and she also made her way to the free throw line regularly.
Ellie DeLuca (St. Mary of the Assumption Parish) scored six first-half points, and she led a dominating rebounding effort for the Auks. On the defensive end, Archmere forced the Lady Jaguars into several turnovers, and the shots Appo did take were of the low-percentage type. Appoquinimink had scored just two points in the second until Mariana Catania drained a three-pointer just before the horn. The Auks took a 25-12 lead into intermission.
After a slow start to the second half, Malloy made her presence felt again. She scored the first four points of the third – two free throws and a layup following a steal – before Boyer (St. John the Beloved Parish) thrilled the crowd with back-to-back threes. Appo had its best offensive quarter in the third, with Dawkins scoring on a layup and Sophia Ramos taking eight free throws, making six. However, the Auks had their biggest point output of the evening and took an insurmountable lead into the fourth.
Malloy led Archmere with 20 points, and Boyer had 18, all on three-point shots. Archmere improved to 16-5 and will have the opportunity to avenge one of those losses. Caravel defeated the Auks on Dec. 12. Tickets to Thursday’s game must be purchased online and are available at www.gofan.co/app/school/DIAA. Tip-off is at 6 p.m.
Sophia Ramos had nine points to lead the Lady Jaguars, who finished the season 10-9. It was their second loss to Archmere, who won in Middletown on Jan. 17.
In another first-round game, No. 15 Ursuline defeated the 18th seed, Wilmington Friends, 52-28. The Raiders will travel to Lewes to meet No. 2 Cape Henlopen on Thursday at 6 p.m.
Padua, the sixth seed, will host No. 11 Caesar Rodney, and No. 3 St. Elizabeth will battle No. 19 Odessa on Thursday.
Photos by Mike Lang.
