Dialog reporter
HOCKESSIN – For a few minutes Thursday afternoon, the St. Elizabeth boys basketball team looked like it give Sanford a battle. But any dreams of an upset were quickly erased as the Warriors showed why they are the top-ranked team in Delaware, cruising to a 65-30 win in front of a sold-out crowd in Hockessin.
After two fruitless possessions to open the game, the Vikings struck first when Jordan Money made two free throws, then knocked down a three-point shot. After Sanford’s Mikey Dixon – remember that name – scored a transition bucket to get his team on the board, Nate Thomas hit nothing but net from distance to put the Vikings ahead, 8-2.
Sanford scored the next eight, and after Money tied the game at 10, the Warriors completely took over. They scored the next 13 points, covering the end of the first quarter and much of the second, going ahead, 23-10. The Vikings, meanwhile, struggled with turnovers and below-average shooting, and their box-and-one defense was no deterrent to Dixon. He would finish with 33 points despite not playing most of the fourth quarter.
Dixon, who has committed to Quinnipiac University, hit 12 field goals, including a three-pointer. He scored from outside just as easily as he did inside, cutting through and leaping over any defender who stood in his way. Dixon also got to the free-throw line eight times, making all eight of his attempts. His three-pointer from the top of the key came after he picked an opponent’s pocket and gave Sanford a 30-12 lead. He scored 13 points in the second quarter alone.
The siege resumed after halftime, as the Warriors opened with a 10-0 run, after which St. Elizabeth coach Dick Rago pulled three starters for a few minutes. Dixon scored another 11 in the third, but he received support from impressive eighth-grader Jyare Davis and Sean Williams, who added four apiece.
Sanford coach Stan Waterman was able to get his reserves some valuable time on the floor in the fourth quarter, which was played with a running clock. Perhaps the biggest cheer of the afternoon came when senior Trevor Kosinski scored in the final minutes.
The Warriors improved to 8-2, with both losses coming to nationally ranked opponents. They play Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Philadelphia University against Lower Moreland (Pa.) in the Kobe Bryant Play-by-Play Tournament.
Money led the Vikings with 12 points. A tough stretch continued for St. Elizabeth, which has lost three of its last four games, against the No. 2-, No. 7- and No. 1-ranked teams in the state. The Vikings take on another top-10 team on Tuesday at 7:15 p.m. at St. Mark’s.
