WILMINGTON — Fiona Teaney enjoyed a blazing start for Archmere in the Auks’ basketball game against Caravel in the Diamond State Classic on Dec. 28. She scored eight straight points in the first quarter on her way to a game-leading 23 as the Auks took care of business, 70-52, over the Buccaneers in the First State Orthopaedics Cup bracket.
The young Buccaneers opened the game on top, as sophomore India Johnston went in for a layup on her team’s first possession. But the Auks would score the next 10 points. Lauren Kim drained a long two-point field goal, and Teaney provided the other eight points. She hit back-to-back three-pointers, then added a mid-range jumper.
Caravel fought back by aggressively going to the hoop over and over again, and they had a one-point lead after the first eight minutes. As the Auks’ shooting went cold, Caravel got two layups from Giniah Gale, and Taylor Wilkins added another. A Caitlin St. Leger free throw put the Bucs on top heading into the second.
It took Archmere just a few seconds to regain the lead. Lauren Kim, the team’s leading scorer thus far this season, grabbed an offensive rebound and sank a seven-foot shot 30 seconds into the quarter. Izzy Gioffre, who provided a large rebounding presence all afternoon, added a free throw. And while five players scored for the Buccaneers in the first period, Johnston was the primary weapon in the second.
Johnston restored a one-point Caravel lead with a baseline runner. Less than a minute later, she hit from mid-range to extend the lead to three. That didn’t last long, as the Auks would score the next nine points. Gioffre turned a rebound of a missed free throw into two points to push Archmere back into the lead, 21-19. The run ended shortly thereafter when Maddie Stewart hit a layup.
The Auks turned a five-point halftime advantage into a solid 12-point lead by the end of the third by finding the range from outside. Stewart went deep twice, and Teaney connected on her third trey. Kim also contributed two field goals during the third to help keep the Buccaneers at bay.
Archmere played more of a ball-control game in the fourth, and they held Caravel to just four field goals in the quarter. The 70 points by the Auks was their highest total of the season.
“Our team was just finishing everything. We struggle to finish sometimes, but once we get hot, we stay hot. Our passes were connecting. Everyone just really gelled today,” Teaney said.
Kim and Stewart joined Teaney in double figures with 15 and 14 points, respectively. Gioffre added nine, and she was in double figures in rebounds. The Auks improved to 4-2 and will meet Central Dauphin (Pa.) for the First State Orthopaedics Cup crown on Monday at 6:15 p.m. at the St. E Center.
Johnston had 18, and Wilkins added 10 for the Bucs, who are now 2-3. Caravel meets Ursuline on Monday at 1 p.m. at the St. E Center.
