Dialog reporter
MILLTOWN – St. Mark’s and Middletown played an even first period, but the host Spartans pulled away from the undermanned Cavaliers in the second period on their way to a 65-26 nonconference girls basketball win on Dec. 9. Every player who appeared in the game for St. Mark’s scored, with four of them reaching double figures.
St. Mark’s trailed for part of the first period until back-to-back hoops from Delaney Carey put them ahead, 11-10. It was 13-10 as the clock ticked down and the Cavs’ Yannie Lee-Williams dribbled several feet beyond the three-point arc. Her heave banged off the rim and in as the buzzer sounded, and the teams were tied at 13, but Middletown’s good fortune would end there.
Lindsey Oberhausen scored her first bucket of the afternoon in the opening minute of the second. Kayla Wolff would then hit a layup as she was fouled, and she added the free throw. Natalie Allesandrini and Oberhausen added a free throw each, and Oberhausen then scored on a layup. The Cavaliers, who had just seven players available for the contest, called a timeout with the score 22-13.
The break didn’t stop the Spartans’ attack. Carey scored on a baseline jumper, and by halftime, they had outscored the Cavs in the quarter, 16-0.
Lee-Williams stopped the St. Mark’s run by hitting the first field goal of the third quarter, but Middletown never threatened. The big lead allowed Spartans coach Jim Freel to use every player on his roster, and they all scored. Freshman Ava Berardi scored eight of her 10 points in the second half, and her classmate, Aniyah Bond, hit a nice leaning turnaround shot in the fourth quarter, when she saw extended minutes.
Carey led the Spartans (2-1) with 12 points, while Wolff had 11, and Berardi and Kendra Schweizer added 10 apiece. They travel to Brandywine on Tuesday for a 5:15 p.m. start.
Lee-Williams had 13 points and Daja Burton 11 for the Cavaliers, who fell to 1-2. They host A.I. duPont on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
