Seahawks ruffle Mallards’ feathers in first half, lose 37-33
Following a 44-37 win at Woodbridge Jan. 14, the Sussex Academy girls’ basketball team could not make it a winning streak when they turned around to play at Worcester Prep Jan. 15.
Leading 22-11 at halftime, it seemed like the Seahawks were tapping into a groove after playing their first game as a full squad the night before. But a determined Mallards team celebrated their Senior Night with a come-from-behind 37-33 victory over Sussex Academy.
“Woodbridge was the first time we actually had our entire roster, so, honestly, they're still figuring each other out,” Seahawks coach Rayona Benson said. “Having Cappy [Capucine Duvert] is big because it frees up some space for Emily [Bisaha] – teams zero in on Em – so it helps us balance the floor a little more, and Grayce [Glover] is just a monster on the board; she ain't ever given that up.”
The three led the scoring charge in both the Woodbridge win and Worcester Prep loss. In the latter, Bisaha’s 20 points led the team, but it was the lack of scoring that allowed the Mallards to come back.
“We were able to put up some shots, calm down offensively and put some stuff up, go to the basket, get to the foul line – that helped us in the first,” Benson said. “Second half, we came out in that third quarter and scored three points; you cannot do that as a varsity team.”
One of the reasons things slowed to a halt on the Seahawks’ offensive end was foul trouble.
“We gotta learn how to play with that foul trouble; that's when the help defense comes in and that's when the communication comes in,” Benson said. “That's just something we need to work on.”
Tied at 25-25 heading into the fourth, the Mallards outscored the Seahawks 12-8 in the final frame to cap the 37-33 win.
