WILMINGTON — Ursuline took a three-point lead over Archmere seconds into the second half on an Amoree Anderson three-pointer, but the Auks responded with the next 10 points and went on to a 45-36 win over the Raiders on Feb. 2 at Laffey-McHugh Gymnasium.
Sara Boyer (St. John the Beloved Parish) put the Auks back on top, 28-26, with the first of her two triples in the third quarter. Most of the Auks’ scoring, however, came from closer to the basket. Bridget Malloy (St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Glen Mills, Pa.) continued a strong shooting night in the third, getting open for three field goals. After their initial field goal, Ursuline managed just two free throws in the quarter and trailed by nine heading into the fourth.
The Raiders played all but 15 seconds of the fourth without Anderson, their leading scorer, who fouled out. Claire Gordon and Naiya Murphy each hit threes for the Raiders in the final quarter, but the Auks successfully moved the ball and ran the clock while waiting for lanes to open.
The first half was evenly played. Malloy led the Auks with a mix of layups and mid-range jumpers, while Ellie DeLuca chipped in with a pair of old-fashioned three-point plays. Anderson paced the Raiders, driving to the hoop consistently, and Murphy provided rebounding and secondary scoring.
The Auks took a 17-16 lead on a three-pointer from Malloy, and she followed that with a nice assist to DeLuca, who finished the three-point play to put Archmere on top by four. After a timeout, Murphy scored five straight for Ursuline to give the lead back to the Raiders. Much of the scoring for both teams was created by solid defensive play.
Malloy finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds, and she also led the Auks with six assists and three blocked shots. DeLuca had eight points and five rebounds, along with two blocks. Archmere (9-3) hosts MOT Charter on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
For the Raiders, Murphy had 15, while Anderson added 14. Ursuline fell to 8-7 and travels to Caravel on Thursday at 7:15 p.m.
Photos by Mike Lang.
