Royals upend Ravens in final seconds to move to 8-0
Delmarva Christian is rolling following a thrilling 31-30 win over Sussex Tech Dec. 21 to move to 8-0 on the season.
The Royals girls' basketball team made the trip west on Route 9 just one day after they trekked north to beat Brandywine 55-18. Coming into the contest at 7-0, Delmarva Christian knew Sussex Tech would be a true litmus test.
“It’s good to play in games like that,” said coach Frank Roach. “Tech brought a lot of physicality, which was good for the girls to feel it, see it and experience it.”
The Ravens jumped out to an early 8-6 lead at the end of one quarter, but the Royals stormed back to take a 17-14 lead at halftime. Delmarva Christian pressed often in the first half and seemed to amplify that pressure as the game went on. The Ravens, on the other hand, presented questions the Royals have not had to answer this early in the season.
“It was good work by Tech and a good experience for us,” Roach said. “They're going to need it as the season goes on. It's good to get it in December so we are prepared for January and February.”
Delmarva Christian managed to increase its lead to four by the end of the third quarter, but Tech refused to go down quietly.
“We had to fight through it,” said senior Journey Handy. “I got frustrated sometimes, but my team brought me back up, and we all realized we just needed to win the game.”
The Ravens led 30-27 before Layni Dukes converted two free throws to put Delmarva Christian within one with with about 15 seconds remaining.
Senior Ryley McCluskey forced a turnover on the inbound, but the Royals were unable to score after her steal. However, the Ravens were forced to inbound in the Royals’ offensive with just a few seconds left.
“This is where you have to be aggressive,” Roach said. “You got to put that guard hand out. You got to smack your hand away. You have to be aggressive just like they are.”
Handy took things into her own hands, literally, and grabbed the ball from the Ravens’ ball handler. As the seconds ticked away, a lane opened and Handy exploded to the rim for the game-winning lay-up.
“I wanted the ball,” she said. “I took it and I made the shot. That’s all I can say.”
Handy led her team in scoring with 11 points and nine rebounds. Delmarva Christian registered 15 steals.
The girls will play in the Governor’s Challenge in Maryland at 3:15 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 26.
