WILMINGTON — Padua was able to stay close to Delaware’s top-ranked girls basketball team, Conrad, for part of the first quarter, but a run of 30 consecutive points put the game out of reach. The Red Wolves remained undefeated against in-state competition with a 72-24 win the morning of Jan. 18 at the 76ers Fieldhouse.
Conrad made 10 three-point shots during the game, including four in the first quarter. Sisters Stefanie and Julie Kulesza each had a pair, and a total of six Red Wolves scored in the first as they blistered the net on their way to a big lead after one.
Defensively, the Red Wolves bottled up the Pandas’ principal offensive weapon, Michelle Kozicki. Conrad’s two tallest players, Ja’Nylah Whittlesey and Stefanie Kulesza, frequently double-teamed Kozicki, holding her to two free throws in the first.
Padua’s shooters found some open space from deep in the second half, when they made all three of their three-pointers for the game. Kozicki hit one in the third, while Tess McMenamin found the range twice in the fourth.
Kozicki led the Pandas with nine points, and McMenamin had seven. The Pandas (5-5), who had a three-game winning streak snapped, face another tough test on Thursday, when Caravel visits for a 7:15 p.m. tip.
Stefanie Kulesza led all scorers with 25, including seven triples. Julie Kulesza (14) and Whittlesey (12) also reached double figures. The Red Wolves (10-2) will face William Penn Charter (Pa.) at Monsignor Scanlan High School in the Bronx, N.Y., Sunday at 5:45 p.m.
