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Ursuline basketball gets a glimpse of future in win over Mount Pleasant: Photo gallery

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Taylor Brown takes the ball down low for the Raiders. She scored 18 points in her high school debut. Dialog photo/Mike Lang

PENNY HILL — Ursuline basketball got a glimpse of the future — and the present on Dec. 8 when the Raiders opened their season at Mount Pleasant. Eighth-graders Taylor Brown and Gigi Banks both reached double figures as the Raiders were never threatened in a 78-21 win over the Green Knights.

Sabrina Washington gave Mount its only lead of the afternoon on a third-chance three-pointer that opened the scoring, but Banks got two of those back on a pair of free throws. The next nine points came from Brown, who was on the receiving end of a few outlet passes after Green Knights turnovers.

The Raiders played their trademark pressure defense, forcing several turnovers that they turned into run-and-gun points. The large lead allowed coach John Noonan to get the entire roster into the game, and 13 girls scored.

Ursuline pounded the ball inside time after time. Coming off the bench, Chamira Marshall Brothers was a pest defensively, and she turned those opportunities into eight first-half points.

Just one senior, Hannah Kelley, started for the Raiders. The other two were sophomores Abigail Grillo and Jordin Tate. The 16-player roster includes three freshmen and six sophomores.

Brown paced the Raiders with 18 points, while Banks and Marshall Brothers each scored 10. Ursuline (1-0) plays St. Andrew’s Episcopal (Md.) on Saturday at 5:20 p.m. at the St. James Sports Complex in Springfield, Va., as part of the She Got Game Classic.

Mount Pleasant received 10 points from Mikyia Smith. The Green Knights (1-3) travel to Padua on Tuesday for a 6:30 p.m. tip.

All photos by Mike Lang.