For The Dialog
CLAYMONT – “Defense wins games” is a key saying in any sport, and it rang true in Archmere’s 32-22 nonconference girls basketball victory over Conrad on Feb. 4.
The Auks held high-scoring Conrad eighth-grader Julie Kulesza to seven points, 11 below her season average. Archmere junior Maggie Malloy said the help defense was tremendous in making that possible.
“We wanted to play good defense on her as a team and it just wasn’t me my teammates helped out and we did the job,” Malloy said.
Conrad got the first basket of the game, but Auks freshman Catherine McGonigle answered with a layup. Archmere took an 8-6 lead on a Malloy bucket in the final minute of the quarter, but a three-pointer by Kulesza gave the Redskins the 9-8 lead after one.
The teams went back and forth in the second, and an old-fashioned three from Kulesza kept the lead at one, 16-15. Amanda Denning hit two free throws, however, to give Archmere a 17-16 halftime advantage.
Conrad retook the lead at the beginning of the second half when eighth-grader Alyssa Faville drained a three less than a minute in. The Redskins would not score the rest of the third, while the Auks scored six points, taking a 23-19 lead into the fourth.
A big three-pointer from Danaziah Brown extended Archmere’s lead to 28-20 with three minutes to go, and the defense held Conrad to two points in the final three minutes. The Redskins scored just six points in the second half, with two field goals.
Brown had nine points to lead the Auks, who improved to 9-6. They travel to St. Elizabeth on Saturday afternoon for a 4:30 tip.
Kulesza led Conrad with seven. The Redskins (8-5) are at St. Georges on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
