Dialog reporter
GLASGOW – St. Thomas More made a valiant comeback effort on Dec. 9 at Hodgson, but in the end, the Ravens missed on too many opportunities, and Hodgson came through when needed to take a 45-36 nonconference girls basketball victory.
The young Ravens played with just eight girls, only one of whom was not a freshman or sophomore. St. Thomas More gave the Silver Eagles too many second and third chances on offense, and numerous Ravens shots would not fall as they fell to 1-1 on the season. Sophomore Kayla Braxton-Young, after being held scoreless in the first quarter, led the Silver Eagles the rest of the way, putting up a game-high 18 points.
St. Thomas More trailed, 7-6, late in the first quarter when sophomore Aniah Patterson hit a layup to give the Ravens a one-point lead after one. That started a seven-point run for St. Thomas More, but Hodgson responded by scoring the next 12, punishing the Ravens inside with multiple offensive rebounds. Patterson hit a layup just before the halftime buzzer, ending the Silver Eagles’ run and making it 20-15.
Kaylah Burns scored the first basket of the second half to pull STMA within three, but the Ravens struggled with field-goal percentage after that. Still, thanks to a ball-hawking defense and Hodgson’s own challenges from the field, they stayed close. A big moment in the contest came toward the end of the stanza. St. Thomas More trailed, 28-24, and could have cut the deficit to two, but they missed two layups. Braxton-Young took the ball the other way, knocking down a shot and getting fouled. She hit her free throw, and instead of being down two, the Ravens were in a seven-point hole.
Hodgson’s lead grew to 11 early in the final quarter, but St. Thomas More would not give up. DahNaija Barnes and Patterson led the comeback, and a short field goal by Jessica Simmons pulled the Ravens to within 38-34 with less than three minutes on the clock. The Silver Eagles, however, closed the door, and picked up their first win of the season after a loss to Caesar Rodney.
Patterson finished with 13 for the Ravens, while DahNaija Barnes had 10. St. Thomas More returns home to meet Seaford on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
Ja-Naiah Perkins-Jackson joined Braxton-Young in double figures with 12. The Silver Eagles are off until Thursday, when the host Howard at 5:15 p.m.
