For The Dialog
WILMINGTON – Padua came out ice cold Monday at the Diamond State Classic and fell to Central Bucks East (Pa.), 50-9, at the St. E Center.
While Padua struggled mightily, the Lady Patriots Bridget Birkhead scored on a three-point shot and a few other early field goals on her way to 10 first-quarter points. Padua was shut out in the quarter and trailed, 16-0, when it ended.
Padua played hard in the second quarter, and Meg Mallon got them on the scoreboard with a pair of free throws with 5:45 left in the half. The Pandas’ defense held the Lady Patriots to six points in the stanza, and Mallon hit the team’s first field goal with 1:07 to go to make it 22-4 at the half.
The Patriots were on fire in the third, as Brianna Talbott had 11 of the team’s 16 points. Padua got three points from Mallon, and Cameron Scully scored a field goal, but it was 38-9 after three. The teams emptied the benches for the fourth, and CB East outscored the Pandas, 12-0, in the final eight minutes.
Birkhead led the Patriots with 14 points, while Talbott added 13. Central Bucks East will face Seton Keough (Md.) on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the First State Orthopaedics Cup bracket championship game. Mallon scored seven for Padua, who meet Caravel at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the St. E Center.
