CLAYMONT — Archmere got off to a hot start against Tower Hill on the afternoon of Jan. 18, but the Auks could not sustain their shooting accuracy. The Hillers, meanwhile, absorbed the early blow, then cranked up their own offense in the second quarter on the way to a 64-50 victory at Moglia Fieldhouse.
The Auks opened the game on a 10-2 run, with Ty Brinker beginning the game by hitting a mid-range jumper. Tom Carney followed with a three-pointer, and after a Hillers field goal, the same pair struck for the Auks again. Brinker hit a shot, and Carney completed an old-fashioned three-point play to push the lead to eight.
Tower made its first run late in the first. Trailing by six, they got a triple from James Allen, then a follow shot from Jaeden Fitzhugh to cut the lead to 13-12. Roo Conaty gave the home team some breathing room when he drained a late three, and Archmere led, 16-12, after one.
The lead was 18-14 early in the second when Tower Hill went on a 13-0 run to take control. Donoven Mack got the ball rolling for the Hillers, making a field goal to cut the Auks’ lead to 18-16, then putting the Hillers ahead with a deep three-pointer. Before the run was over, Allen made a free throw, Austin Zhou would connect on an and-one, and Michael Gilbert got open underneath on a back-door cut for an easy layup. Mack ended the streak by driving through traffic. Archmere’s Mike Albero hit a three-pointer to temporarily stop the bleeding, but the Hillers would outscore the Auks, 8-2, to take a 12-point lead into halftime.
Mack and Julian Jackson each scored 13 to pace the Hillers, who improved to 9-2. They return home to the Carpenter Fieldhouse on Friday to take on Friends at 7 p.m.
For the Auks (4-7), Matt Dellose led the way with 10 points. Ten other Auks scored. They will try to end a five-game losing skid on Tuesday at 6:15 p.m. when Saint Mark’s visits Claymont.
