CLAYMONT — Caravel’s girls basketball team found the formula for success in the second quarter of their game Jan. 14 at Archmere. It consisted of smothering defense combined with deadly long-distance shooting that allowed the Buccaneers to open up a comfortable lead on the way to a 48-33 win.
The teams were tied, 7-7, heading into the second quarter, but that was the case only until Anaya Price got her hands on the ball. Her three-pointer about a minute in put the Bucs on top and jumpstarted a big eight minutes.
Caravel’s defense forced a turnover after Price’s shot, and Brycelyn Stryckning made the Auks pay by hitting a short jumper. The Auks’ turned defense into offense when Lucy Oliver pilfered a ball and went in for a layup to make it 12-9, but the running-and-gunning Buccaneers scored the next seven points.
Jasiyah Crawford scored first,, and Price followed with another triple. Crawford then stole an Auks pass in the backcourt and made a long jumper to extend the lead to 19-9.
After a timeout, Archmere scored five straight, but Johnson connected from beyond the arc on a shot that bounced off both the glass and rim. The next time down, it was Crawford from deep. The lead was nine at the break.
The Bucs’ lead stayed in the nine- to 11-point range throughout the third quarter. They continued to wreak havoc with the Auks with their pressure defense but were unable to stretch the lead. After a slow scoring start from both teams, the shooting heated up as the quarter wore on. Brynn Bastian-Pastore provided a spark for the Auks’ offense; she scored six of the team’s 12 points in the third, including a long three-pointer from in front of the bleachers. Speedy Wilson got a gasp out of the crowd as the buzzer sounded, spinning around defenders along the baseline for a layup for her only field goal of the day.
Oliver scored on a left-handed layup with four minutes remaining in the game to again cut the Auks’ deficit to nine, but those would be the home team’s final points of the game. Caravel kept Archmere at bay with more intense defense, coming up with a number of steals in the closing minutes. The Bucs made six free throws in the final minute to secure the victory.
Crawford ended with 16 points, while Price (11) and Stryckning (10) also reached double figures. Caravel (7-4) plays next on Tuesday, hosting Mount Pleasant at 6:15 p.m.
For the Auks, Oliver and Bastian-Pastore led the way with 12 points each. Archmere (6-2) embarks on a four-game road trip beginning Tuesday at St. Georges at 5:15 p.m.
All photos by Mike Lang.
