Jezelle “GG” Banks of Ursuline and Ericka Huggins of St. Elizabeth are among the Catholic school students who were selected to the all-state girls basketball teams. The teams were drawn March 17 from nominations submitted by the state’s coaches and media members who regularly cover the sport. Votes were submitted before the semifinals of the state tournament.
Banks, an eighth-grader, helped the Raiders put together a 22-2 season that ended with a loss in the state championship game to Sanford. Both of Ursuline’s losses came to the Warriors.
Joining Banks on the first team is Huggins, a junior who was the Vikings’ leading scorer and rebounder this season. St. Elizabeth went 11-11 this season, bowing out in the second round of the tournament to Ursuline. They battled injuries and other factors this season that left them with a depleted roster.
The state player of the year is Sanford’s Dallas Pierce. The senior scored 24 points in the state title game vs. Ursuline, including three three-pointers and all five foul shots she attempted. Pierce will play next season at the University of Massachusetts. The other members of the first team are Sanford senior Azareya Kilgoe and Tatnall senior Emma Kirby.
Archmere junior Lucy Oliver is one of two Catholic school athletes on the second team. Oliver helped the Auks to a 16-5 record — the program’s most wins in a season — and the sixth seed in the state tournament, where they lost to Woodbridge in the second round.
The other Catholic school student on the second team is Taylor Brown, Ursuline’s other eighth-grader.
The other second-team selections, in alphabetical order:
Reghan Robinson, junior, Woodbridge
Imirah Trader, senior, A.I. duPont
Chastity Wilson, sophomore, Caravel.
Third team
Ainsley Bell, senior, Delmarva Christian
Cherish Bryant, sophomore, Tatnall
Jasiyah Crawford, junior, Caravel
Payton Keeler, senior, Woodbridge
Faith Re, sophomore, Cape Henlopen
Honorable mention
Kai Burnette, sophomore, Smyrna
Alyssa Cresto, senior, Appoquinimink
Amalia Fruchtman, freshman, Cape Henlopen
Maya Hill, sophomore, Delaware Military
Kallie Hopkins, senior, Polytech
Hannah Kelley, senior, Ursuline
Anaya Price, junior, Caravel
Kyla Reed, junior, Appoquinimink
Elia Richardson, senior, St. Georges
Sa’Ni Savage, senior, Middletown
Caitlin Smith, senior, Tower Hill
Jada Snow, sophomore, Sanford
Amirah Tingle, sophomore, Seaford
Carlie Venables, senior, Laurel
Kimahni Woods, senior, A.I. duPont
