Dialog reporter
WILMINGTON – Freshman Maggie Connolly drilled two three-point shots in the opening 90 seconds as Ursuline raced out to an 8-0 lead and never trailed in a 59-40 Catholic Conference win over St. Elizabeth Monday night at the St. E Center.
The Raiders, coming off a 2-1 effort in last week’s Diamond State Classic in the same gymnasium, had their shooting stroke going throughout the first half, scoring 20 points in each of two periods. After Connolly’s two treys, junior Kailyn Kampert got on the board on a 10-foot baseline jumper before senior sharpshooter Adrianna Hahn joined the scoring.
Hahn’s first two buckets came on layups before she got back to her specialty, the long-distance jumper. She hit two three-pointers in the first quarter, finishing with 10 in the period, and added nine more in the second on her way to a game-high 25. Hahn was a force all over the court, adding several assists and steals in addition to her scoring.
Kampert provided the inside touch, finishing with 13 points. Five of her field goals were of the short variety, and she added one three-pointer after the outcome had been decided. Kampert said it is a plus when her team can complement its running game with a half-court offense.
“We always play better when we play fast, but our half-court was flowing a lot better than it had in the past, so I think that worked well,” she said.
The Vikings trailed at the half, 40-23, as they had opportunities but struggled with their inside shot. Led by senior Alex Thomas, they cut into the Raiders’ lead in the third quarter, but the mountain was too high to climb. After St. Elizabeth scored the first five points of the second half, Hahn ended a six-minute field-goal drought with a 25-footer that effectively ended the Vikings’ momentum.
Connolly added one more three-point shot to end with nine points; eight Raiders scored in the contest. Ursuline improved to 7-1 with the win and is back in action Thursday at Smyrna at 7:15 p.m.
Thomas was outstanding for St. Elizabeth, finishing with 18 points and playing well on both ends of the floor. Sophomore Alanna Speaks had eight points. The Vikings, who fell to 5-3, losing for the first time to an in-state opponent. They are off until next Monday, when they travel to Hockessin to meet Sanford at 4 p.m. in another stiff test.
