For The Dialog
The girls’ basketball tournament has reached the quarterfinal round, and it has a Catholic flair as four teams have reached the final eight. Three of the four games will feature Catholic schools. One will be an all-Catholic affair. All games will be played at the Bob Carpenter Center at the University of Delaware.
Sussex Central vs. Caravel, 2 p.m. This is the only game that does not include a Catholic school. The 11th-seeded Golden Knights are fresh off an upset of No. 6 Concord. They had a great regular season in the tough Henlopen Conference North and played both St. Elizabeth and Ursuline this season, finishing the regular season 14-5. Sussex Central is led by junior guard Jasmine Hudson,who scored 17 against Concord. Another junior guard, Taylor Pritchard, gives the Knights a good one-two punch.
Caravel is coming off an 83-28 win over Appoquinimink on Thursday and is playing its best ball of the year, winning the final eight regular season games. The Buccaneers finished the regular season 16-4, playing a very tough schedule. Their only in-state losses this season were to the two teams seeded ahead of them, Ursuline and Sanford.
The Bucs are led by a trio of juniors: Caroline Davis, Micah Moore and Ky’Asia Stanford. The team reached the finals last year, falling to St. Elizabeth, and has the talent to get there again.
Archmere vs. Sanford, approximately 3:30 p.m. Archmere, the 10th seed, upset No. 7 Smyrna to reach this round. The Auks’ 15-5 regular season included an overtime win at St. Elizabeth. The team is senior-oriented, led by Kate Payne and Amanda Olsen, who are making their first trip to the Bob.
They have a tall task in front of them in the form of No. 2 Sanford. The Warriors were 19-1 during the regular season and are coming off a 50-point win in the second round. Their lone loss came Dec. 17 against St. Elizabeth, and they have won 18 straight. Senior Alison Lewis is a player of the year candidate, but she is not alone. The Warriors are deep and talented.
Padua vs. St. Elizabeth, approximately 5 p.m. Padua, the No. 12 seed, picked a good time to play its best basketball of the season. After finishing the regular season 12-8, the Pandas have put together two solid playoff games, including a 49-40 upset of Milford on Thursday. Seniors Emma Matthews and Rachel Liskiewicz lead the way for Padua with the ability to hit shots from anywhere on the court.
The Pandas are looking to avenge their two losses to the Vikings this season, but defending champion St. Elizabeth is coming off one of its best games of the season, a 60-31 win over Charter on Thursday. The Vikings went 14-5 during the regular season. They feature a lot of depth, with several players capable of leading the team in scoring, including seniors Sabrina Hackendorn and Macy Robinson.
Hodgson vs. Ursuline, approximately 6:30 p.m. The talented Silver Eagles, seeded ninth, won the Blue Hen Conference championship behind junior Dynasty Williams and senior Tierra Jonnson.
Ursuline, the top seed, lost to just one Delaware team all season, at Sanford in the regular-season finale, but the Raiders defeated St. Elizabeth twice and Caravel in a 16-4 regular season. They are a young team, led by player of the year candidate Adrianna Hahn, who can shoot from anywhere, and a deep supporting cast.
Tickets are available at diaa.ticketleap.com or at the Bob Carpenter Center. They are $8 and are good for all four games.
