Sanford’s Kendra Warren (left) looks past Carvel’s Sasha Marvel in the second half of Sanford’s 60-33 win at Caravel Tuesday.

GLASGOW – The Sanford girls basketball team was amped up for its first major in-state test at No. 5 Caravel on Tuesday night.

Maybe a little too amped up.

The second-ranked Warriors didn’t play their best, but rode defense and rebounding to a 60-33 victory over the Buccaneers.

Sanford started three sophomores and two freshmen, and brought two sophomores, a freshman and a junior off the bench. Warriors coach Marcus Thompson said a roster that young is bound to have its ups and downs.

“Our girls were excited, and it kind of showed at times,” Thompson said. “We didn’t execute the way we’re really capable of. But all that said, when you play defense, it keeps you in games. And our defense was what really pulled us out.”

That defense held Caravel (8-5) to 20 percent shooting from the field (10 of 50). Sanford also earned a 42-31 rebounding advantage, as 5-foot-10 Kendra Warren snagged nine boards and 6-foot Samantha Pollich and 5-9 Olivia Tucker pulled down seven each.

The Warriors (10-2) had won their five previous in-state games by an average of 51.4 points, but fell behind 4-2 early as Caravel’s Sasha Marvel drove for a layup and assisted on Grace Lange’s score.

Tucker hit a baseline jumper, and Warren and Lauren Park each made two free throws to push Sanford to an 8-4 lead. The Warriors led 12-7 after one quarter and 27-14 at the half, but were far from satisfied.

“I think at halftime, with coach T’s talk we came out and settled down and did a good job of swinging the ball and getting open shots,” Tucker said.

Tucker, who finished with a game-high 21 points, was on target with a deep 3-pointer to push the Sanford lead to 32-16 with 4:56 left in the third quarter.

“My teammates were doing a good job of getting me open, so I knocked down the shot when I was open,” she said.

The Warriors had little trouble with the Buccaneers’ full-court pressure, but struggled to convert on the offensive end. Still, they opened the fourth quarter on a 7-2 run, and Allie Kubek scored on Park’s assist to make it 49-25.

Pollich added 14 points for Sanford, while Marvel led Caravel with 10. Thompson was pleased with a road win over one of Delaware’s most competitive teams, but promised a difficult practice before Thursday’s game at St. Andrew’s.

“Every day, we’re just trying to get better,” the coach said. “I told the girls, ‘Today, I’m not sure we got a whole lot better.’ So tomorrow, we’re going to work really hard.”

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ.

Sanford’s Kanisa Tucker puts up a shot against Caravel’s Karli Cauley in the second half of Sanford’s 60-33 win at Caravel Tuesday.

Sanford coach Stan Waterman gets his piece of the net after the Warriors edged St. Georges in the 2016 DIAA Boys Basketball Tournament championship game on March 18 at the Bob Carpenter Center.

Stan Waterman has had banner years before, but never one like this.

In March, Waterman guided the Sanford School boys basketball team to the DIAA championship. In May, he celebrated his 50th birthday. In September, the school held a special ceremony and stamped his name on the basketball court in the athletic center.

Now, two weeks into the new year, the Delaware Sportswriters and Broadcasters Association has put a bow on Waterman’s 2016 by voting him as the state’s Coach of the Year. He will receive the Tubby Raymond Award at the 68th DSBA awards banquet, to be held at noon Feb. 20 at the Sheraton Wilmington South Hotel in New Castle.

“This year has been amazing,” Waterman said. “… I’ve had so many great things happen this year, it’s too good to be true.”

The state title was Waterman’s sixth in 25 years at Sanford, but the voters were convinced that this was his best coaching job. The Warriors had often won with rosters dotted with future college players, their talent overwhelming opponents as Waterman taught them to share the ball and balance the scoring. But this team was different.

Waterman broke out of his mold by allowing Mikey Dixon to carry the offensive load. The 6-foot-2 senior scored 26.0 points per game, more than twice the 12.4 average of Jacob Walsh, Sanford’s second-leading scorer.

“When you get a special talent like that, as a coach you’ve got to be smart enough to sometimes just get out of his way,” Waterman said.

Waterman helped the other key seniors – Walsh, Kyle Evans and Freddie Ryle – realize that scoring wasn’t going to be their No. 1 priority. The result was a tight-knit unit that played defense, rebounded and produced a 21-2 season. The Warriors’ only losses came to national powers Westtown School (Pennsylvania) and La Lumiere (Indiana).

“The other guys were unselfish enough to relinquish some of what they would normally do, because they realized Mikey was special,” Waterman said. “One, they knew how to play. Two, they were very unselfish. They didn’t care who got the glory. All they wanted to do was win, and they were willing to do whatever it took.”

Sanford’s all-around expertise was on full display in the semifinals and finals of the DIAA tournament at the Bob Carpenter Center. The Warriors scored more than 60 points 15 times, but both Mount Pleasant and St. Georges slowed the pace and took them out of their comfort zone.

It didn’t matter. Sanford grinded past the Green Knights 38-30 in the semis. The Hawks led 31-29 with 4:24 to play in the championship game, but Sanford scored 10 of the last 11 points to win 39-32.

“You’ve got to be able to play at two speeds,” Waterman said. “We like to be able to get up and down the floor and play in transition. But when that doesn’t happen, you’ve got to be able to execute in a half-court set as well.”

Mount Pleasant coach Lisa Sullivan knows Waterman well, having served as Sanford’s girls coach previously. She knew the Warriors could adapt to whatever her team could throw at them.

“It’s almost like a chess game,” Sullivan said. “You make adjustments, he makes adjustments. You’re not going to outcoach him. You can try to keep up with him, but you’re not going to outcoach him.”

The Green Knights were devastated after their semifinal loss, and Sullivan consoled her players in the locker room for 45 minutes.

“When I walked out, Stan and his wife were standing there waiting for me,” Sullivan said. “That meant a lot. So he’s not just a great coach, he’s a first-class act.”

Early start in coaching

Waterman starred as a point guard at Howard High and the University of Delaware, then spent one year as an assistant coach at Wilmington College before assisting Thom Shumosic with Sanford’s 1991 championship team.

The next season – at the age of 24 – Waterman became the Warriors’ head coach.

“I was trying to carry myself in a much more mature, older way than I probably was at that time,” he said.

He must have done OK because Sanford repeated as DIAA champs in 1992.

“He had such a presence as an adult, as a basketball player and as a leader,” said Kenny Mitchell, who was a junior on Waterman’s first team. “I honestly didn’t know how old he was. I had no clue. It wasn’t until years later when I realized we were actually much closer in age than I thought.”

Waterman’s youth allowed him to take a hands-on approach.

“What was great was that he could get out on the court with us,” Mitchell said. “I was his very first point guard, and he was a point guard. He could give very direct pointers first hand.”

Mitchell went on to Dartmouth, where as a senior in 1997 he led NCAA Division I in assists at 7.8 per game. He now works in Chicago as head of global consumer engagement for Gatorade.

“I pride myself on taking a point guard’s approach to life and to business,” Mitchell said. “Making sure that everyone knows the game plan, everyone is put in a position to be their best self.

“I think I learned so much of that from Stan. Stan is somebody that you want to run through a wall for, but he’s also someone who cares about you deeply as a person.”

Mitchell is one of countless examples of Waterman’s coaching success. He has guided dozens of players into college basketball and/or successful business careers.

“My relationship with our players and our families, I don’t know if that’s way anywhere else,” Waterman said. “Guys you see that graduated 25 years ago, they still come back. They have relationships with our current guys and they talk to them about what college is like. It’s more than basketball.”

He sells Sanford, a small private school in Hockessin, as a place to receive a top-notch education and take basketball to the next level. Dixon (Quinnipiac), Sabri Thompson (Northwestern State), Khallid Hart (Marist) and Anthony Mosley (Delaware) are the most recent former Warriors enjoying success in Division I college basketball.

“It’s an easy sell,” Waterman said. “Success begets success.”

Always teaching

Jyare Davis may be the Warriors’ next collegiate star, already leading Sanford in scoring at 23.3 points per game as a 6-5 freshman.

“He’s taught me more efficient ways to score, how important defense is, how to be a complete player,” Davis said. “And he teaches us simple stuff that just makes my day better. Make sure to be respectful, simple stuff like that that can just help you in life.”

Waterman also enjoys seeing players improve, like Connor Rufo. The 6-3 senior has blossomed in his final year, upping his scoring average to 7.3.

“A lot of people just see him as a basketball coach, but I see him as a mentor and a teacher,” Rufo said. “In school, he’s always there to motivate you to do better. The same on the court, right when I come over here, he’s always pushing me to do better.”

On Sept. 24, the school paid him the ultimate compliment by naming the Warriors’ home floor Stan Waterman Court. Sanford also established the Stan Waterman Endowed Fund for Excellence in Coaching, which will be used annually to recognize an exceptional Sanford coach with a monetary award.

“That ceremony was an emotional moment for me,” Waterman said. “Even when I look back on it today, it was almost surreal. To have so many former players come back and community people come back, and some of the things they were saying about you, I just never think about myself in that light.”

The next milestone is 500 wins, as Waterman’s career record sits at 493-131 after a 36-30 victory over Salesianum on Tuesday night. This year’s Warriors are struggling at 7-7, but have won six of their last nine games following a 1-4 start.

“It does not seem, at any stretch, at any point, that it’s been 25 years,” Waterman said. “But then when you look back over the span of guys as they’ve come and gone, and now some of their kids are coming back, you start to think, ‘Wow, it’s been a long time.’

“But I’ve had such a great time coaching. I’ve had so much fun and learned and met so many people. It has gone by fast because it’s been so much fun.”

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

68th DSBA awards banquet

WHEN: Noon, Feb. 20

WHERE: Sheraton Wilmington South Hotel, 365 Airport Road, New Castle

TICKETS: $35, or $300 for a table of 10. Available at www.delasports.org

A.I.’s Lauryn Griffin sends a behind-the-back pass past a group of William Penn defenders in the first half of A.I.’s 68-33 win over William Penn at A.I. duPont High School in Greenville on Thursday evening.

GREENVILLE – William Penn won the opening tip and immediately got the ball to Shawnae Sykes for a layup just four seconds into the game.

That was it for the Colonials’ highlights, as A.I. du Pont rained in shots from everywhere and quickly turned what appeared to be a Blue Hen Flight A showdown into a romp, winning 68-33 on its home court Thursday night.

The ninth-ranked Tigers (11-2, 6-0) shot 54 percent (27 of 50) from the field on the way to their second-highest point total of the season.

“I would say that was the best offensive game we’ve played this year,” A.I. coach Tracy Howell said. “The girls really shared the ball with everybody. Everybody got a chance to touch it.”

There were plenty of points to go around. Freshman guard Ber’Nyah Ward-Mayo hit 10 of 12 from the field in pouring in a game-high 25 points. Senior Lauryn Griffin was solid all around with 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals, and senior Adeline Runco turned it on in the second half to score 14.

“We moved the ball well, we finished, we executed well and shot the ball well,” Griffin said.

Ward-Mayo immediately took control after William Penn’s opening bucket. The freshman hit a floater, scored a layup off an inbounds play, converted Griffin’s fast-break assist and went behind the back for a driving layup to push the Tigers to an 8-2 lead.

“I got the ball movement and pushed the ball more,” Ward-Mayo said. “I got some wide-open looks.”

The assault continued, as Griffin dropped back-to-back 3-pointers to stretch A.I.’s advantage to 20-10 after one quarter. The Tigers hit 5 of 13 (38.5 percent) from beyond the arc.

“We’ve been in the gym shooting a lot,” Howell said. “We’ve been working on little things, like making the layups, fundamentals, things that we kind of get lax on.”

The Colonials (7-5, 4-1) showed some grit, pulling within 20-15 when Shanira Mitchell opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer and a short jumper. But the Tigers hit the gas again, as Ward-Mayo converted a three-point play, Runco made two free throws and a layup and Griffin drove for another score to make it 29-14.

A.I. led 31-17 at the half, then kept pouring it on. The Tigers shot 55.6 percent from the field in the second half to ring up 37 more points.

“When we go up by a certain number of points, we just kind of stop playing defense or stop shooting,” Howell said. “But today, the girls played all the way through. They played hard, and that’s all I can ask.”

Mitchell and Jessica Behornar led William Penn with eight points each.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ.

A.I.’s Adeline Runco puts up a shot in the second half of A.I.’s 68-33 win over William Penn at A.I. duPont High School in Greenville on Thursday evening.

A.I.’s Lauryn Griffin puts up a shot in the second half of A.I.’s 68-33 win over William Penn at A.I. duPont High School in Greenville on Thursday evening.

A.I.’s Ber’Nyah Ward-Mayo puts up a shot in front of William Penn’s Shawnae Sykes in the second half of A.I.’s 68-33 win over William Penn at A.I. duPont High School in Greenville on Thursday evening.

A.I.’s Adeline Runco goes up for a shot in the second half of A.I.’s 68-33 win over William Penn at A.I. duPont High School in Greenville on Thursday evening.

A.I.’s Lauryn Griffin looks for room to drive past William Penn’s Shawnae Sykes in the second half of A.I.’s 68-33 win over William Penn at A.I. duPont High School in Greenville on Thursday evening.

A.I.’s Sydney MacDonald steals the ball from William Penn’s Shanira Mitchell in the first half of A.I.’s 68-33 win over William Penn at A.I. duPont High School in Greenville on Thursday evening.

MILFORD – After two tough matches in the last seven days, Milford came into Friday night’s dual at less than full strength.

That is never a good position to be in against Smyrna.

The matchup of the top-ranked teams in Division I and II was no contest, as the Eagles won 11 of the 14 matches – seven by pin – to cruise to a 57-15 victory.

“They’re the best for a reason,” Milford coach Don Parsley said of Smyrna, which has won the last four D-I titles.

The Buccaneers (7-1) have won the last three D-II crowns, and downed No. 2 St. Georges 44-36 and No. 4 Indian River 37-33 in the last week. Both teams will be favored to repeat in their respective divisions at the DIAA Dual Meet Championships on Feb. 14, but the head-to-head meeting wasn’t close.

The Eagles (9-2) kicked it off with another sharp performance from Dylan Andruzzi. The 88-pound freshman started the season with 11 straight losses against opponents weighing much closer to 106, high school wrestling’s lightest division. But Andruzzi picked up his third straight victory with a 6-2 decision over Anthony Sollie.

“He’s feeling his way out,” Smyrna coach Kurt Howell said of Andruzzi. “He’s kind of getting used to giving up the weight, and not getting as frustrated with himself. … We’re talking about finding escape routes when he gets stuck underneath the big guys, and he’s using them pretty well.”

Robbie Rosser scored a technical fall for Milford at 113, but the Eagles followed with pins from Nick Natarcola (120) and Cole Sebastianelli (126) and a 10-4 decision from Ryan Kelly at 132.

Smyrna freshman J.T. Davis trailed Milford senior Gavin Garcia 3-2 after two periods, but rallied to take a 5-3 lead, then pinned Garcia 38 seconds into the final period.

“I knew I could get off the bottom. I just had to keep moving,” Davis said. “Once I got to my feet, I knew I was better there. The cradle was just there, so I took it at the end.”

Howell was happy to see Davis get the pin, because he felt the freshman was wrestling better than the scoreboard indicated.

“It looked like he had a little bit of an edge,” the Smyrna coach said. “But sometimes you wrestle matches where the points don’t go your way, but you wrestle well. That’s kind of what was happening to him.”

Chase Archangelo kept it rolling for the Eagles with a tech fall at 145, and Nate Bryant (152) and Dakota Kerr (160) earned pins. Then Larsen Wilson scored a major decision at 170 and Hunter Moyer (182) and Tony Wuest (195) got decisive pins to push the Smyrna lead to 57-5.

Milford’s Anthony Diaz gave the home crowd something to cheer with a pin at 220, and the Buccaneers’ Bryan Wynes closed the night with a pin at 285. But that could only put a minor dent in the Eagles’ advantage.

“We came in kind of licking our wounds a little bit,” Parsley said. “Really out of respect for their team, I made sure that their studs had kids to wrestle. Some of my guys were JV guys, and they’re quality kids and hard workers, but certainly Smyrna was the class of the night.”

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ.

Smyrna’s Larsen Wilson, left and Milford’s Kaje Tiggs-Reynolds battle for position in the 170 pound match at Milford High School.

Smyrna’s Cole Sebastianelli (top) pins Milford’s Jordan Passwaters in the 126 pound match at Milford High School.

Milford’s Robbie Rosser (top) pulls Smyrna’s Gavin Sembly’s head up from the mat in the 113 pound match at Milford High School.

Smyrna’s Nathaniel Bryant (top) works to roll Milford’s Khiry Hovington on to his back in the 152 pound match at Milford High School.

MIDDLETOWN – Kyson Rawls wasn’t going to lose on his mother’s birthday.

Rawls made mom proud, muscling into the lane for a three-point play with 9.6 seconds left Saturday to push St. Georges to a hard-fought, 53-52 home victory over Woodbridge.

“With the time running down, I want the ball in my hands,” said Rawls, a senior guard who was first team All-State last season. “Basically, when I got the ball, they were playing tough D, and I lost the ball around the 3-point line. Got it back, saw a lane and just went to the basket.

“I know I’m stronger than most of my opponents, so I battled through the contact. I’m just thanking God for the layup going in. It was a tough shot, but it went in.”

Rawls also made the free throw for the go-ahead point, and the fourth-ranked Hawks (10-4) made one more stop to foil the Blue Raiders (10-2). A jump ball was called with 1.1 seconds remaining, giving Woodbridge an inbounds play under the basket. Kejon Mosley cut into the lane and got an off-balance shot off, but it bounced off the back of the rim.

“It was a playoff atmosphere,” said St. Georges coach Rod Griffin, who guided the Hawks into the DIAA championship game before losing to Sanford last year. “They brought a lot of fans from down south. You need these kinds of games as you move toward the playoffs, and I think our guys showed a lot of character.”

St. Georges was flying high early, scoring the first seven points. Sophomore guard Nah’Shon Hyland reeled off 11 points – including two 3-pointers – in the first quarter as the Hawks built a 20-12 lead.

“We got out in transition,” Griffin said. “We played really good help defense, and in that regard, once we started changing our defenses it threw them off.”

But the Blue Raiders held the Hawks scoreless for the first four minutes of the second quarter, pulling within 20-17 on a 3-pointer by Mosley and long jumper by Brandon Palmer. Woodbridge continued to gain momentum, taking a 27-26 lead into halftime after Mosley’s steal and layup.

“We came out a little flat,” Blue Raiders coach Julius Cannon said. “Usually we’re the ones who come out aggressive, but we didn’t. We just had to gather ourselves. This is probably the toughest game we’ve played all season… Once we settled down, I think we did fine.”

The Blue Raiders scored the first seven points of the third quarter, stretching their lead to 34-26 on Cornell Corbin’s fast-break layup. The Hawks battled back, and Rawls’ free throws tied it at 39 heading into the fourth quarter.

“We let our intensity go down, and they were very relentless when it came to going after the boards and hustle plays,” Griffin said of the Blue Raiders. “… Once they got confidence, you saw a change in the game.”

Woodbridge surged ahead again, as Corbin’s fallaway jumper capped an 11-5 run for a 50-44 lead with 4:26 to play. St. Georges answered with six straight, and tied it at 50 on Hyland’s free throws at the 1:02 mark. Hassan Corbin’s layup with 28 seconds left gave Woodbridge a 52-50 advantage and set up Rawls’ heroics.

“Oh my goodness, what a play,” Griffin said. “… I had two timeouts. I’m trying to decide do I call a timeout, or do I go with what we taught them? Fortunately, I trusted my intuition and I let him go.”

Rawls and Hyland each scored 21 points for St. Georges. Hassan Corbin led Woodbridge with 21, and Cornell Corbin added 12.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

Michael McCants of St. Georges Technical takes a foul shot in boys basketball at St. Georges Technical High School in Middletown on Saturday afternoon.

Nah’Shon Hyland of St. Georges Technical drives the ball down the court between heavy Woodbridge defense in boys basketball at St. Georges Technical High School in Middletown on Saturday afternoon.

Nah’Shon Hyland of St. Georges Technical takes the ball to the net in boys basketball at St. Georges Technical High School in Middletown on Saturday afternoon.

Brandon Palmer of Woodbridge takes a jump shot in boys basketball at St. Georges Technical High School in Middletown on Saturday afternoon.

Tristan Guild of St. Georges Technical tries to pass the ball past the defense of Shymere Vessels of Woodbridge in boys basketball at St. Georges Technical High School in Middletown on Saturday afternoon.

Brandon Palmer of Woodbridge takes the ball to the net in boys basketball at St. Georges Technical High School in Middletown on Saturday afternoon.

Brandon Palmer of Woodbridge takes the ball down the court past the defense of Prosper Tarley of St. Georges Technical in boys basketball at St. Georges Technical High School in Middletown on Saturday afternoon.

Nah’Shon Hyland (center) of St. Georges Technical takes the ball to the net between the defense of Cornell Corbin (left) and Shymere Vessels (right) of Woodbridge in boys basketball at St. Georges Technical High School in Middletown on Saturday afternoon.

Nah’Shon Hyland (center) of St. Georges Technical takes the ball to the net between the defense of Cornell Corbin (left) and Shymere Vessels (right) of Woodbridge in boys basketball at St. Georges Technical High School in Middletown on Saturday afternoon.

Cornell Corbin of Woodbridge beats Voshon Wharton of St. Georges Technical to a rebound ball in boys basketball at St. Georges Technical High School in Middletown on Saturday afternoon.

Prosper Tarley of St. Georges Technical takes the ball to the net as Shymere Vessels of Woodbridge tries to defend in boys basketball at St. Georges Technical High School in Middletown on Saturday afternoon.

Nah’Shon Hyland of St. Georges Technical takes the ball down the court as Khalil Holliman-Letherwood of Woodbridge tries to defend in boys basketball at St. Georges Technical High School in Middletown on Saturday afternoon.

Ethen Brown of St. Georges Technical takes the ball to the net past the defense of Blaize Rayford of Woodbridge in boys basketball at St. Georges Technical High School in Middletown on Saturday afternoon.

Khalil Holliman-Letherwood of Woodbridge takes the ball to the net in boys basketball at St. Georges Technical High School in Middletown on Saturday afternoon.

Sanford’s Kanisa Tucker (10) intercepts a pass intended for Brooklyn Community’s Kamani Bryan on Jan. 16. The Warriors (11-2) are ranked No. 2 statewide by The News Journal.

THE NEWS JOURNAL/DELAWAREONLINE RANKINGS

BOYS BASKETBALL

1. Mount Pleasant (14-1) prev. 1

2. Newark (12-2) 2

3. Smyrna (11-2) 3

4. St. Georges (10-4) 4

5. Hodgson (11-2) 5

6. St. Thomas More (11-3) 6

7. Glasgow (9-4) 7

8. Caesar Rodney (10-3) NR

9. Woodbridge (10-2) NR

10. Sanford (7-7) 10

GIRLS BASKETBALL

1. Ursuline (12-1) 1

2. Sanford (11-2) 2

3. St. Elizabeth (7-6) 4

4. Caravel (9-5) 5

5. Conrad (12-1) 6

6. Concord (10-2) 7

7. Caesar Rodney (13-1) 3

8. A.I. du Pont (11-2) 9

9. Archmere (9-4) 8

10. Mount Pleasant (9-4) 10

WRESTLING

DIVISION I

1. Smyrna (9-2) 1

2. Cape Henlopen (11-1) 2

3. Sussex Central (5-1) 3

4. Caesar Rodney (5-3) 4

5. William Penn (6-0) 5

DIVISION II

1. Milford (7-1) 1

2. St. Georges (5-3) 2

3. Indian River (12-1) 4

4. Sanford (0-2) 3

5. Del. Military Academy (5-2) 5

BOYS SWIMMING

1. Charter of Wilmington (7-0) 1

2. Salesianum (6-1) 2

3. Conrad (7-1) 3

4. St. Andrew’s (6-2) 4

5. Mount Pleasant (11-0) 5

GIRLS SWIMMING

1. Ursuline (5-1) 1

2. Charter of Wilmington (7-0) 2

3. Cape Henlopen (10-0) 3

4. Newark Charter (7-1) NR

5. Padua (6-1) 5

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

Athlete of the Week: Lauryn Griffin, senior, A.I. du Pont girls basketball

THE WEEK: Scored eight points in a 58-42 victory over Newark last Tuesday. Added 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals in a 68-33 win over William Penn on Thursday as the eighth-ranked Tigers improved to 11-2 overall, 6-0 in Blue Hen Flight A.

THE STRENGTH: Griffin reached 1,000 career points in a 52-45 victory at Hodgson on Jan. 12. Her scoring average has dipped from 16.5 points per game on a 10-11 team last season to 11.1, as freshman guard Ber’Nyah Ward-Mayo (18.1 ppg) has made an immediate impact. But that is fine with Griffin. “I think I pass the best,” she said. “I try to get my teammates involved. I try to make them better and make our team better.”

THE LEADERSHIP: “She tries to teach the younger kids where to be,” A.I. du Pont coach Tracy Howell said. “She shares the ball. She overpasses sometimes. She’s just overcaring.”

THE IMPROVEMENT: “I tried to work on my left hand some, and I definitely tried to work on my shooting more,” Griffin said of preparing for her senior season.

THE VERSATILITY: “Just a great player to have,” Howell said. “She can shoot the ball, she’s very athletic, she plays the whole entire game without a sub, and she plays hard.”

THE ROLE: “This year, she knows her role and she doesn’t try to overdo it,” Howell said. “I think in the previous years, she’s had to do everything. Now she’s realizing, ‘I have help, I don’t have to do as much,’ so she makes much better decisions.”

THE CLASSROOM: Griffin’s favorite subject is Accounting. “I like numbers, I like math,” she said.

THE FUTURE: Griffin has committed to continue her basketball career at Bentley University in Waltham, Mass., which won the NCAA Division II championship in 2014 and reached the national semifinals last season. “I know I’ve got to step up and do things better and work hard because next year I’m going to go to the next level and I’m going to have to compete with better competition,” she said.

Send Athlete of the Week nominations to Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

A.I. duPont’s Lauryn Griffin poses for a portrait int the locker room at A.I. duPont High School in Greenville on Monday afternoon.

A.I. duPont’s Lauryn Griffin laughs as she poses for a portrait int the locker room at A.I. duPont High School in Greenville on Monday afternoon.

A.I. duPont’s Lauryn Griffin poses for a portrait int the locker room at A.I. duPont High School in Greenville on Monday afternoon.

A.I. duPont’s Lauryn Griffin poses for a portrait int the locker room at A.I. duPont High School in Greenville on Monday afternoon.

If last weekend is any indication, some state records will be in jeopardy when the DIAA Indoor Track and Field Championship is contested Saturday.

The event will be held at the Prince Georges Sports and Learning Complex in Landover, Md., for the fourth straight year, as Delaware has no suitable indoor track venue. The action gets underway at noon and is expected to end around 5 p.m.

Two state records were set in boys relays at the Ocean Breeze Invitational last Saturday on Staten Island, N.Y. The Howard quartet of senior Brandon Justin (50.4), junior Ian Chege (49.5), senior Zaire Hermon (50.8) and senior Edwin Rosembert (51.8) lowered the 4×400 meter record they set earlier this season to 3:22.51. They eclipsed a 1984 Howard squad of Adrian Murphy, Steve Brown, Yusuf Nuridden and Tony Brown that ran a converted 3:23.06 at the Naval Academy.

Salesianum set the mark in the 4×800, as sophomore Sean Banko (2:02.4), junior Lucien Peach (2:02.6), sophomore Mike Keehan (2:01.3) and senior George Steinhoff (1:57.3) finished in 8:03.65. That’s more than two seconds faster than the previous record of 8:06.04 set by the Sals’ John Walker, Steinhoff, Colin Parker and Andrew Hally at the same meet last winter.

William Penn’s Mike Mills (21.94) and Howard’s Rosembert (22.03) moved up to fourth and fifth all-time, respectively, in the 200 meters. Rosembert also ran a 49.67 in the 400, which also ranks fifth on the state’s career list. And Chege went 1:57.75 in the 800, which is sixth all-time.

Padua has won the last four Indoor girls team titles, and the Pandas are expected to field a powerhouse lineup again. The chase for the boys Indoor title has been much more competitive lately, with Salesianum (2016), Dover (2015), Tatnall (2014) and Caesar Rodney (2013) each winning in the last four seasons.

Tickets ($8) will be sold at the door, starting at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Huge week of hoops

The buzz is already building for Thursday’s boys basketball showdown, as No. 2 Newark (12-2, 5-0 Blue Hen Flight A) travels to No. 1 Mount Pleasant (14-1, 5-0) at 5:30 p.m.

But neither team can look ahead because both face a major nonconference test first on Tuesday. Newark will be at home against No. 7 Glasgow (9-4), while Mount Pleasant will play at No. 5 Hodgson (11-2). Both games will start at 5:15.

Mount Pleasant’s small gym is certain to sell out well in advance of Thursday’s Newark game, so act quickly to secure seats. Tickets ($5 adults, $2 students) are being sold online at www.greenknightssports.com through midnight Tuesday.

Any leftover tickets will be sold to Mount Pleasant students only during lunches on Wednesday. If any tickets remain Thursday, they will be sold to the general public during Mount Pleasant’s lunches from 11:02 a.m.-12:42 p.m. No tickets will be sold at the door before the game.

A major Henlopen North boys game comes Friday, as No. 3 Smyrna (11-2, 8-0) travels to No. 8 Caesar Rodney (10-3, 6-2) for a 7:15 p.m. tipoff. The Eagles routed the Riders 66-31 at Smyrna on Dec. 15, but CR is playing much better now. The Riders have won seven in a row and turned the tables on Cape Henlopen with a 73-62 home victory last Friday after losing to the Vikings 62-46 on Dec. 9 in Lewes.

Raiders win in double OT

Ursuline, Delaware’s top-ranked girls basketball team, picked up its seventh win over an out-of-state opponent Sunday. But it took two overtimes to do it.

Cardinal O’Hara (Pa.) hit a 3-pointer to take a one-point lead with seven seconds remaining in the second overtime. But the Raiders’ Alisha Lewis fired in a 30-foot 3-pointer of her own as time expired to give Ursuline a 52-50 victory. The All-State sophomore guard finished with 19 points.

The Raiders (12-1) own victories over opponents from New York, California, New Jersey, Maryland and Pennsylvania this season. Their only loss was a 54-49 setback to Rufus King High of Milwaukee on Dec. 11.

Ursuline’s final seven regular-season games will be against in-state opponents, including a big home test against No. 2 Sanford on Feb. 16.

Rounding it up

— Wednesday marks the beginning of the National Letter of Intent signing period for high school seniors in football and soccer. Athletes in other sports are also expected to make their college destinations official this week. Please send signing photos and information to sports@delawareonline.com to be included in The News Journal’s online photo gallery.

— Wilmington Friends sophomore Connor Nisbet has been named Gatorade Delaware Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year. The sophomore won the DIAA Division II individual title with a time of 16:26.6. Nisbet also won at the New Castle County championships, Joe O’Neill Invitational, Middletown Invitational, White Clay Creek Classic and Blue & Gold Invitational while maintaining a 4.0 grade-point average.

— Immaculata sophomore Mike Piekarski, a 2015 St. Elizabeth graduate, has been named Colonial States Athletic Conference defensive player of the week. Piekarski averaged 13.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 2.0 steals in two games.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

Howard’s Edwin Rosembert (right) and Brandon Justin finish 1-2 in the 400 meters at the New Castle County championships last June. Rosembert and Justin helped the Wildcats set a state indoor record in the 4×400-meter relay last Saturday.

NEWARK – Coach Shannon McCants said it was a trap game.

His Newark Yellowjackets fell right into it, but quickly climbed out of the hole and rallied past Glasgow 58-48 on Tuesday.

The No. 7 Dragons were playing without their leading scorer, as point guard Devon Earl was out due to an illness. And No. 2 Newark was trying not to look ahead to Thursday’s showdown at No. 1 Mount Pleasant.

“That took a little bit away from the guys, just thinking, ‘Oh, their top point guard isn’t playing, it’s going to be easy,’” McCants said. “And then they jumped out on us.”

Glasgow built a 10-point lead after one quarter. But Chaz Knox took over in the second quarter, and Michael Drumgo-Sharpe dominated the third quarter as Newark (13-2) gradually took control on its home floor.

“It’s just all confidence,” Knox said. “Ten points down, we weren’t fazed or anything. We weren’t bothered by it. We knew we were going to come back.

“We weren’t even worried. We knew what was coming, and they knew what was coming.”

The Yellowjackets didn’t expect what was coming early. Devin McDowell, the Dragons’ 6-foot-6 junior center, had eight points and four rebounds in the first quarter as the Dragons pulled out to a 14-4 lead.

But McDowell went to the bench with two fouls in the second quarter, and Knox immediately took advantage. The 6-4 senior scored four straight baskets – three off of offensive rebounds – to pull Newark within 14-12.

“I need to bring energy for the team as a senior and as one of the big men on the team,” Knox said. “If our guards’ shots aren’t falling, then someone needs to step up to the plate and be able to take the lead.”

Knox had 11 points and eight rebounds in the quarter, but the Yellowjackets still trailed 24-23 at the half.

Drumgo-Sharpe took it from there. The 6-2 junior cut loose for 13 points in the third quarter, driving inside repeatedly after four 3-point attempts missed the mark in the first half.

“My shots weren’t falling like normal,” Drumgo-Sharpe said. “So I just figured I saw a lot of wood, take it to the rack. I’ve got one gear, and that’s go.”

He went coast-to-coast with a rebound, and Roland Byrd swiped an inbounds pass and went for a layup that pushed the Yellowjackets ahead 34-27.

Newark’s Michael Drumgo-Sharpe puts up a shot through a group of Glasgow defenders in the second half of Newark’s 58-48 win over Glasgow at Newark High School on Tuesday evening.

Newark’s Michael Drumgo-Sharpe puts up a shot around Glasgow’s Devin McDowell in the second half of Newark’s 58-48 win over Glasgow at Newark High School on Tuesday evening.

Glasgow’s Dewitt Johnson puts up a shot through Newark’s Tyreek Booker (left) and Michael Drumgo-Sharpe (right) in the first half of Newark’s 58-48 win over Glasgow at Newark High School on Tuesday evening.

Newark’s Michael Drumgo-Sharpe (No. 14) puts up a shot over Glasgow’s Devin McDowell (No. 15) in the second half of Newark’s 58-48 win over Glasgow at Newark High School on Tuesday evening.

Newark’s Chaz Knox (No. 40) reacts after making a basket through a foul in the second half of Newark’s 58-48 win over Glasgow at Newark High School on Tuesday evening.

Glasgow’s Lameen Carter pushes the ball through the legs of Newark’s Shannon McCants after losing the ball in the first half of Newark’s 58-48 win over Glasgow at Newark High School on Tuesday evening.

Josh Patrick will be part of a change in Villanova football, but the Wildcats won’t be totally different.

That gave the Salesianum linebacker comfort, so he committed in early December and signed with Villanova on Wednesday in a brief ceremony at Sallies. Patrick was one of dozens of high school senior athletes to make their college destinations official across Delaware on the first day National Letters of Intent could be signed in several sports.

Villanova is coming off a 9-4 season that saw the Wildcats reach the second round of the Football Championship Series playoffs. Andy Talley retired after 32 seasons as Villanova’s coach, but his replacement is Mark Ferrante, who served on Talley’s staff for 30 years.

“Nothing is really changing as far as schematics go, and just the overall feel of the program,” Patrick said. “That’s why I was comfortable… It feels good to know that I could be the start of something a little new, but at the same time I’m just another stepping block in something they already have great going on.”

The 6-foot-1, 220-pound senior was a first-team All-State selection at linebacker last fall.

“We’re really excited for him, and we’re really excited for Villanova,” Sallies coach Bill DiNardo said. “There aren’t many kids that we’ve had that have even been offered by Villanova before. For a super program like them to offer to Josh, we’re proud… It’s close by, so everybody can still watch him and support him.”

Patrick was among 13 Villanova signees in Ferrante’s first recruiting class. He also considered Monmouth, Massachusetts, and Albany and received some late recruiting interest from new Delaware coach Danny Rocco, but held firm on his commitment.

“It just seemed to be a great fit,” Patrick said. “The coaches, the players I’m going to be going there with, it just seemed like home when I went for my visit.”

The Sals also had another signee in Zebulon Wright, a 6-2, 310-pound two-way lineman who is headed to Division II Shippensburg (Pa.). Wright was first team All-State as a guard, but he said the Raiders want him to play on the defensive line.

DiNardo said Wright blossomed during his senior season.

“He figured things out,” DiNardo said. “He became a dominant lineman for us. He was really good, and I think he’s got an incredible upside.”

There were many other football signees across the state, including four from Smyrna. The two-time DIAA Division I champions saw quarterback Nolan Henderson sign with Delaware, along with linebacker brothers Josh and Eli Hutchinson going to Shepherd (W. Va.) and offensive lineman Jerren Carter headed for West Virginia Wesleyan.

St. Georges also had a big day. Tight end-linebacker Jason Stewart and tight end Doug Phillips are both headed to Wesley, and lineman Charles Lamborn will play at King’s College. Former Hawks running back Gary Brightwell, who transferred to St. Frances (Md.) for his senior season, signed with Arizona. Linebacker Jiare Hicks, who spent a year at Lackawanna College, signed with Prairie View A&M.

Caravel had three linemen sign – Curtis Linton with New Hampshire, Keith Medley with Lincoln University and Damon Callis with Lock Haven.

Wilmington Friends fullback Andrew Jaworski signed with Colgate. Two players – Glasgow receiver Michael Credle and Newark lineman Tyreek Booker – signed with Delaware State. St. Elizabeth offensive lineman Mickey Henry signed to join Henderson at Delaware.

Tatnall lineman Karl Holler will play at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Glasgow linebacker Dasan Henderson will play at Hudson Valley Community College.

There were also dozens of non-football signees, led by Padua with a whopping 17. Soccer players Julia Detwiler (South Carolina), Arryana Daniels (Winthrop), Emilia Ryjewski (Seton Hall), Anne Brush (DeSales), Sarah Embley (Ursinus) and Abigail Houseal (Belmont Abbey) are all headed to the next level, along with Darby Deutsch (Wake Forest) and Taliah Cintron (Delaware) in track and field.

Other Padua athletes signing were Abby Cunningham (Shippensburg) in softball; Gabriella DiMarco (Temple) and Madison Heitz (Fairfield) in rowing; Madelyn Judge (Delaware), Meghan Patterson (Philadelphia University) and Gabriella Walsh (Southern Connecticut) in volleyball; Hailey Power (Sacred Heart) and Jill Sherman (Queens University of Charlotte) in field hockey; and Emily Pfeifer (Tampa) in swimming.

Smyrna’s Casey Bell signed to play soccer at Shippensburg, and Sierra Duman is headed to Wilkes for lacrosse. Wilmington Friends swimmers Sean Cochran (Washington College) and Blair Atkins (Franklin & Marshall), volleyball players Alyssa Nathan (Swarthmore) and Alex Musi (Dickinson) and field hockey player Simone Veale (Williams) will also continue to compete in college.

Charter of Wilmington’s Eamon O’Connor will play soccer at Bucknell. The Force will also have Shannon McNulty at Stevenson for women’s soccer and Rebecca Dolan at the Coast Guard Academy for lacrosse. St. Elizabeth’s Hunter Wesley will run track at Stevenson.

Tatnall’s Oliver Campbell will play baseball at Dartmouth, Savannah Pankow will run track at the United States Naval Academy and Alex Browning will play lacrosse at McDaniel College.

A.I. du Pont’s Lauryn Griffin will play basketball at Bentley University. Sydney MacDonald is headed to Eastern University for volleyball, Brady Kalafut will play lacrosse at Potomac State and Luke Wilhelm will play baseball at Delaware Tech.

Three Caravel soccer players will play in college – Macie Pennington at Caldwell, Deanna Cameransi at Elms College and Cole Lewis at Goldey-Beacom.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

Salesianum linebacker Josh Patrick (left) signed to play at Villanova, while lineman Zebulon Wright signed with Shippensburg.

Junior Will Assmann scored a huge major decision at 126 pounds Wednesday to lead William Penn to a 46-25 victory at Middletown.

MIDDLETOWN – William Penn’s wrestling machine was stalling out – until Will Assmann came to the rescue.

Colonials coach Marvin Dooley was hoping the junior could avoid getting pinned in his 126-pound match on Wednesday night. Assmann did much more than that, scoring an 11-3 major decision over David Ellis to stoke his teammates to a 46-25, Blue Hen Flight A clinching victory over Middletown.

Fifth-ranked William Penn (8-0, 7-0 Flight A) had won 27 straight conference titles – interrupted by a four-year stretch competing as an independent – until Middletown ended the Colonials’ reign on its home mat two years ago. Charter of Wilmington took the crown last year, but now William Penn has it back.

“Two years ago when we lost it, they used to always ask me, ‘How fun is it winning Flight A when you’ve won it so many times?’” Dooley said. “But when you don’t have it, you miss it. This team, we’ve talked all year about one brick at a time. We just got the last brick.”

The Colonials thought they had an edge in the higher weights, and they took full advantage. Luis Rodriguez started the night with a thrilling, 8-7 decision over the Cavaliers’ Louis Savino at 170. Then Nick Lane (182), Messiah El (195), Myles Goodson-Tatum (220) and Charlie Hope (285) followed with pins to stake William Penn to a 27-0 lead.

“I thought up top, we did what we had to do,” Dooley said.

But when the lineup turned over to the lighter weights, Middletown (4-4, 4-1) made a charge. Jaxson Al-Chokhachy earned a 6-3 decision at 106, and Hunter Hamil (113) and Willem Carl (120) earned pins to pull the Cavaliers within 27-15.

Middletown was expecting to creep even closer, but Assmann regained the momentum for the Colonials.

“The match was won at 126,” Dooley said. “Will Assmann won the match for us.

“His job was really not to get pinned. We trained him all week about staying off your back, and he majored it. He wrestled super.”

Assmann led 1-0 after one period, then built a 9-1 advantage in the second period before finishing it off to score four huge points for his team.

“I had that mindset going out there, not getting pinned, staying tough,” Assmann said. “It just led to me dominating the match, and I’m happy to get the win for my team.

“I believed in myself going into the match, and it paid off. Some of my teammates said it turned the tide of the whole match. It’s just so good to get the conference title back.”

William Penn’s Noah Ogbin won by forfeit at 132. Middletown’s Dante Immediato scored a major decision at 138, only to see the Colonials’ Ryan Juarez-Robertson answer with a 7-2 decision at 145. Middletown’s Brian Schneider (152) and William Penn’s Joseph Bedwell (160) scored pins to finish the match.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ 

Sussex Central’s head Coach Phil Shultie, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2017.

In 1976, just one year out of college, Sussex Central graduate Phil Shultie had a chance to replace the legendary Herm Bastianelli as wrestling coach at his alma mater.

He didn’t know what to do.

“I almost didn’t take it, because I knew that I couldn’t do what Mr. Bastianelli did,” Shultie said. “He was a phenomenal person and coach, and I just knew I couldn’t do what he did, and I knew people would expect me to do what he did.

“I talked it over with my parents, and my father said, ‘Son, go ahead and give it a shot. If you can’t do what they want you to do, they’ll get rid of you.’”

Fast forward 41 years, and Shultie is Delaware’s all-time coaching leader with 426 dual-meet wins. He recently announced his retirement as a coach at the end of this season, and as a special education teacher at the end of the school year.

“It’s been a great run for 40-something years,” Shultie said. “I’m tired, and it’s the right time for me to go.”

He has a chance to go out on top. The Golden Knights are 6-1 after Wednesday’s 53-13 win over Polytech, ranked third in Division I by The News Journal. They travel to William Penn on Saturday, then host a tri-meet against Indian River and Dover on Feb. 8, when Shultie will be honored between matches.

Sussex Central closes the regular season at No. 1 Smyrna on Feb. 10, then goes into the postseason as a contender to perhaps add to the DIAA Division I championship Shultie’s 2008 team earned.

“The kids have been working hard, and they really believe that they can,” Shultie said. “That’s all we need, for them to believe that they can. We’ll see.”

Some of Shultie’s longtime competitors said it won’t be the same without him.

“The man is a legend,” said Kurt Howell, who won four state titles as a wrestler at Newark from 1983-86, and has guided Smyrna to the last four D-I titles as a coach. “The longevity, for him to coach this long, he was coaching when I was in high school. I think I wrestled a kid from Sussex Central in the state championships, and he was out there on the other side of the mat from me.

“He’s able to get so much out of his kids. I’m just constantly impressed with what he does, and using his coaching staff effectively. It’s always an emotional match with Sussex Central.”

Howell said Shultie has always had a gift for helping his wrestlers reach an emotional peak.

“It’s like, ‘us against the world,’” Howell said. “He has that mentality that everybody is out to get us. The kids rally around him and that idea.”

Don Parsley has spent more than 30 years coaching at Milford, but said his team has only beaten the Golden Knights once.

“I’m excited for Phil,” Parsley said. “When you do the things he’s done for all those years, at some point it’s time to pass the torch. In his eyes, now is the time to do that. I’m thankful for the opportunity to have worked with him and against him.”

Chip Illian, in his 29th year as an assistant, will join Shultie in retirement.

“We’ve been talking about it for the last three or four years,” Shultie said. “He was going to go three or four years ago and I said, ‘Give me one more year.’ Then, ‘give me one more year.’ Because Chip is a very important part of our program.

“He does all the technique work with our team. The man is phenomenal. He can learn something, and he never forgets it.”

Shultie has coached 37 state champions, and 111 who have placed in the top three at the state meet. Included in that total are four-time state champ Codey Combs and three-time champ Connor McDonald. He’s also proud to have coached both of his sons – Brandon, who was part of the 2008 title team, and Jason.

“I’ve had some kids say, ‘Why don’t you stay one more year?’ I appreciate the offer,” Shultie said. “But you need new blood, people who can think more out of the box than I can.”

The Golden Knights’ new coach will be Shane Miller, who wrestled for Shultie for four seasons and has served as an assistant the last two years.

“He’s very excited about taking the program over, and he’s going to do a wonderful job with it,” Shultie said. “It’s time to step down and let some new blood come in.”

He looks forward to being home more often, especially in the winter months, and spending more time with his wife, Susan.

“She’s very understanding, allowing me to coach as long as I did,” he said. “Being away from home, not having a big Thanksgiving or Christmas, because we’re always on the road, going to tournaments. She’s been a big supporter of mine. She’s made my life a lot easier.”

And as for the future?

“I don’t know what my plans are,” Shultie said. “I do like to camp, and I do like to fish. My wife told me that the whole month of October, I’m allowed to go to the Outer Banks and do some fishing.”

Sounds like a pretty good plan.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ.

Sussex Central’s head Coach Phil Shultie, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2017.

Sussex Central’s Lucas Hudson takes on Polytech’s Vincent Tascione during the meet on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2017.

Sussex Central’s Lucas Hudson takes on Polytech’s Vincent Tascione during the meet on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2017.

Sussex Central’s Blake Chambers takes on Polytech’s Jaden McCove during the meet on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2017.

Sussex Central’s Blake Chambers takes on Polytech’s Jaden McCove during the meet on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2017.

Sussex Central’s Brandon Bautista takes on Polytech’s Avery Mayan during the meet on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2017.

Sussex Central’s Blake Chambers takes on Polytech’s Jaden McCove during the meet on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2017.

Sussex Central’s Brandon Bautista takes on Polytech’s Avery Mayan during the meet on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2017.

Sussex Central’s Blake Chambers takes on Polytech’s Jaden McCove during the meet on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2017.

Sussex Central’s head Coach Phil Shultie (left) during the match up against Poltech on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2017.

Sussex Central’s Tyler Bunting takes on Polytech’s Emmanuel Davis during the meet on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2017.

Sussex Central’s head Coach Phil Shultie (middle) talks to his assistant coaches during the match up against Poltech on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2017.

Sussex Central’s head Coach Phil Shultie (left) during the match up against Poltech on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2017.

Sussex Central’s Javier Perez takes on Polytech’s Ryan Walters during the meet on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2017.

Sussex Central’s Javier Perez takes on Polytech’s Ryan Walters during the meet on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2017.

Sussex Central’s head Coach Phil Shultie (left) during the match up against Poltech on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2017.

PENNY HILL – Delaware’s No. 1 team was on a one-game losing streak coming into Thursday’s showdown against No. 2.

That was all the motivation Mount Pleasant needed.

The top-ranked Green Knights turned a close game into a rout with an explosive third quarter, pulling away from second-ranked Newark for a 76-51 home victory that put their season back on track.

Mount Pleasant (15-2, 6-0 Blue Hen Flight A) was coming off a 55-51 loss at No. 5 Hodgson on Tuesday, a setback that sent coach Lisa Sullivan back to basics.

“I never hit the panic button or the doubt button,” Sullivan said. “But after Hodgson, I definitely hit the reset button. We had to go back to what we believe in, defense wins championships.”

The Green Knights’ defense dominated during a 19-4 third quarter that thrilled the home fans in their sold-out gym.

“These last few games, we’ve been in a slump,” senior guard Keon Taylor said. “We weren’t playing that well, and we just came off a loss. So it was like revenge. We took it out on [Newark].”

Taylor was the glue, driving past defenders repeatedly and hitting 11 of 16 shots on his way to a game-high 24 points.

“I could make an argument for Keon being our MVP, and I don’t think many people would deny it,” Sullivan said. “Keon does whatever we need him to do.”

Chaz Knox led Newark (13-3, 5-1) with 18 points. The senior got off to a flying start, scoring five of his team’s first six buckets as the Yellowjackets went up 12-7. But Mount Pleasant’s Ny’Jere Hodges hit a 3-pointer right off the bench, and Taylor followed with a three-point play for a 13-12 lead.

Another 3 from Brian Miles pushed the Green Knights ahead 21-15 after the first quarter. An evenly played second quarter sent Mount Pleasant into the locker room with a 36-31 lead.

“We stayed focused, we stayed positive, and we just reemphasized at halftime what we were trying to do,” Sullivan said.

The Green Knights found another gear, scoring nine of the first 11 points in the second half. Miles dropped a 3 from the left corner, and KVonn Cramer’s rebound quickly turned into Doug Sneh’s fast-break layup for a 45-33 lead.

The Yellowjackets called a timeout, but there was no stopping Mount Pleasant. Knox got a tip-in before the Green Knights ran off 10 straight. Taylor scored on Hodges’ assist, then flipped to Cramer for an alley-oop dunk. Cramer sealed his defender for a layup, then dunked again following Ty’Reek Johnson’s rebound and pass.

Then Cramer rebounded and fired ahead to Sneh for a fast-break score that made it 55-35 and prompted Newark coach Shannon McCants to call another timeout with just 2.7 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

“I just knew they would come to play after the loss to Hodgson,” McCants said. “My gut was just telling me that we wouldn’t come out to play. I want to congratulate Mount Pleasant on a great game, and I want to apologize to everyone associated with Newark High School. Hopefully, we’ll just learn from this.”

The lead reached 30 before both teams substituted liberally in the fourth quarter. After a quiet first half, the 6-foot-5 Cramer finished with 15 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks. Sneh added 10 points and seven rebounds.

“I just knew I had to pick up the slack,” Cramer said. “I had to turn it up.”

All of the Green Knights turned it up Thursday.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ.

Mount Pleasant’s Fah’Mir Ali (left) drives against Newark’s Michael Drumgo-Sharpe in the first half of Mount Pleasant’s 76-51 home win Thursday.

Mount Pleasant’s Ty’Reek Johnson moves for the basket as Newark’s Eric Marshall joins the defense in the first half of Mount Pleasant’s 76-51 home win Thursday.

Mount Pleasant’s KVonn Cramer reacts after a slam in the second half of Mount Pleasant’s 76-51 home win Thursday.

CAMDEN – With a No. 3 state ranking and undefeated record in the Henlopen North, the Smyrna boys basketball team goes into every gym with a target on its back.

The Eagles skillfully repelled a hot team’s best effort Friday night, staying calm after Caesar Rodney got within four points and pulling away for a 60-47 win on the Riders’ home floor.

“They don’t mind being a target,” Smyrna coach Andrew Mears said of his team. “They like to play with the hype. They like the attention. As a coach, you always want to be sneaking up from behind, you want to be an underdog. But these guys kind of like that attention.”

No. 8 CR (10-5, 6-3 Henlopen North) had won seven straight before falling at St. Mark’s 57-55 in overtime on Tuesday. The Riders were blown out 66-31 at Smyrna on Dec. 15, but both teams thought it would be much closer this time.

It was. The Eagles led by as many as nine late in the third quarter, but CR jumped right back in it. Two free throws by Jaquan Hooks and a reverse layup by Joseph Williams pulled the Riders within 38-34 with 7:12 remaining.

That’s when Anthony Watson shot Smyrna back into a comfortable lead. The senior’s second 3-pointer of the night made it 43-35. Shaft Clark answered with a 3 for CR, but Watson bombed another 3 from the right wing and Zubi Nwankwo scored on a tip-in for a 48-38 cushion with 4:47 to play.

“That’s just practice, working on my shot every day,” Watson said. “I feel very confident in my shot. When I let them go, those shots were really good.”

Watson scored 11 points on just five shots, including 3 of 3 behind the arc.

“This whole year, he’s been very efficient,” Mears said. “When he’s patient, he can be a very deadly weapon. We know what we’ve got in Anthony.”

Davione Robinson’s layup got the Riders within 48-40, but CR could get no closer.

“When we made our run, we got a couple of stops,” Riders coach Freeman Williams said. “But then there were a couple of key turnovers where they were able to capitalize on them.”

Smyrna (13-2, 9-0) hit 12 of 15 free throws over the final 3:38.

“I loved our composure tonight,” Mears said. “That was a good test. We knew what to expect from a CR team every time we battle with them, especially here. Credit to our guys to keep our composure, play our brand of basketball and ultimately, that’s kind of what stretched things at the end.”

Caleb Matthews led the Eagles with 18 points, including four 3-pointers. Jaymeir Garnett added 15 points and nine rebounds, and Nwankwo chipped in six points and 12 boards.

“Caleb is an All-State player,” Mears said. “There is no doubt in my mind that that guy is at a very high level. He’s such a good shooter, and that’s what people know him for, but it’s more than that. It’s everything, getting the ball up the floor, finding open people, knocking down free throws at the end.”

Hooks had 15 points and seven rebounds, Robinson scored 11 and Clark added eight points and seven boards for CR. But Smyrna found a way survive another team’s best shot.

“I think it’s helping us, because we realize it’s every night,” Matthews said. “You can’t take any nights off.”

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ.

Caesar Rodney’s Davione Robinson runs into traffic under the basket as he drives in the first half of Smyrna’s 60-47 win at Caesar Rodney Friday.

Caesar Rodney’s Jaquan Hooks (left) tries to get the ball from Smyrna’s Dymer’e Richardson in the second half of Smyrna’s 60-47 at Caesar Rodney Friday.

Caesar Rodney’s Joe Williams (left) and Smyrna’s Jaymeir Garnett collide in the second quarter of Smyrna’s 60-47 win at Caesar Rodney Friday.

LANDOVER, Md. – “Field” is always listed second in track and field, but it put Padua in first on Saturday.

The Pandas piled up 52½ points in the field events – including 23½ in the pole vault – to outdistance Tatnall for their fifth consecutive girls team title in the DIAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, held at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Center.

Tatnall’s Keelin Hays (left) pushes into the final turn to eventually beat Padua’s Lydia Olivere at the tape in the 1600-meter final during the DIAA state indoor track championships Saturday in Landover, Md.

“The girls in the field were unbelievable today,” Padua coach Marnie Giunta said. “Our triple jumpers, pole vaulters, throwers, they were just more than I could expect.”

The Pandas withstood a major challenge from their longtime rivals, finishing with 132½ points to pull away from the Hornets (103) late. Smyrna was third with 87½.

“We’re the defending champions, and we have pride with that,” Giunta said. “There’s pride with the program, and these girls rose to the occasion. I’m so proud.”

On the track, Padua got victories from Taliah Cintron in the 400 and Lydia Olivere in the 3,200, with both joining Darby Deutsch and Lizzie Bader for a final win in the 4×400-meter relay.

But the Pandas really did the damage in the events contested inside the track, especially the pole vault. Camryn Harris won at 11 feet, 6 inches, Deutsch was second at 11-0 and Abby Vanderloo cleared 8-6 to tie for third.

Arryana Daniels (37-2¼) won the triple jump, with Harris taking fifth. Marie Soja was second in the shot put, Daniels earned fourth in the long jump and Bader added two points for seventh in the high jump.

“There were a lot of people that we’ve been developing along the way, and they just stepped up,” Giunta said. “It just was fun to watch.”

Tatnall won the other two relays, with Lexxie Mathis, Ellen Zammarchi, Peyton Hays and Kayla Woods combining in the 4×200 (1:46.85) and Caroline Foley, Keelin Hays, Lauren Anshen and Savannah Pankow taking the 4×800 (9:38.22).

Keelin Hays scored the only individual win for the Hornets, nipping her friend and rival Olivere by .03 of a second after an incredible duel through the stretch. The sophomore finished in 5:01.25.

“I thought it was so nice that we could work together to just get each other the best time possible for the day,” Hays said. “… I just put the team on my back and just kept pushing to the finish.”

Olivere easily turned the tables in the 3,200, pulling away to dust Hays by more than 17 seconds in 11:25.13.

“I was fired up after that [1,600],” Olivere said. “It gave me more confidence. I was excited, especially since I like the 3,200 more. I was really excited to see what I could do.”

Middletown’s Daija Lampkin said she wasn’t at full tilt, as hip flexor and groin problems have limited her recent practices. The Alabama signee still blazed to meet records of 6.95 seconds in the 55 and 24.46 in the 200 to become the day’s only double winner.

“I feel good, especially because since I’m not 100 percent I was still able to run a 6.95,” Lampkin said. “And the 200, that’s the fastest I’ve ever run on a flat track.”

Lampkin set the 55 state record of 6.91 at last year’s Millrose Games in New York City, a mark she hopes to lower at the same meet next weekend.

Smyrna’s Naomi Bowser earned her first individual title in the 800, rallying from third place on the final lap to finish in 2:21.19 and edge Tatnall’s Savannah Pankow by .30 of a second.

“I honestly don’t even know what happened during the race,” Bowser said. “I’m just so happy. I’ve never gotten first at the state meet before.”

Smyrna’s Marissa McFolling-Young throws in competition as she wins the shot put during the DIAA state indoor track championships Saturday in Landover, Md.

Smyrna’s Taimira Ramseur won the 55-meter hurdles in 8.26, and gave a brilliant description of the intensity required to do it.

“I had a lot of adrenaline running. My heart was pounding; I couldn’t breathe,” Ramseur said. “Once the race started, I just focused. I couldn’t hear anything, I couldn’t see anybody. I didn’t really gain consciousness until the end, after we were done.”

Padua’s Cintron finished second to Ramseur in that race, then came back to win the 400 in 56.91

“I’m really proud of myself,” the senior said. “I knew I had to come out here today and just give it my all. There’s no regrets.”

Charter of Wilmington’s Asaana Shamlin (high jump, 5-2), Caesar Rodney’s Destiny Bailey-Perkins (long jump, 18-3¼) and Smyrna’s Myrissa McFolling-Young (shot put, 42-4¼) also took home individual state titles.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ.

Smyrna’s Caleb Matthews defends (right) defends against Sanford’s Sean Williams on Dec. 29. Smyrna moved up to No. 1 in The News Journal’s boys basketball rankings this week.

THE NEWS JOURNAL/DELAWAREONLINE RANKINGS

BOYS BASKETBALL

1. Smyrna (13-2) prev. 3

2. Hodgson (13-2) 5

3. Mount Pleasant (15-3) 1

4. Newark (13-3) 2

5. St. Georges (11-4) 4

6. St. Thomas More (13-3) 6

7. Glasgow (10-5) 7

8. Salesianum (10-5) NR

9. Woodbridge (13-2) 9

10. St. Elizabeth (9-5) NR

GIRLS BASKETBALL

1. Ursuline (14-1) 1

2. Sanford (14-2) 2

3. St. Elizabeth (9-6) 3

4. Caravel (10-5) 4

5. Conrad (14-1) 5

6. Concord (12-2) 6

7. Caesar Rodney (15-1) 7

8. Archmere (10-6) 9

9. Howard (12-4) NR

10. A.I. du Pont (13-3) 8

WRESTLING

DIVISION I

1. Smyrna (10-2) 1

2. Cape Henlopen (12-1) 2

3. Sussex Central (7-1) 3

4. Caesar Rodney (6-4) 4

5. William Penn (9-1) 5

DIVISION II

1. Milford (9-2) 1

2. St. Georges (6-3) 2

3. Indian River (14-1) 3

4. Sanford (2-3) 4

5. Del. Military Academy (6-3) 5

BOYS SWIMMING

1. Charter of Wilmington (8-0) 1

2. Salesianum (8-2) 2

3. Conrad (9-1) 3

4. St. Andrew’s (6-2) 4

5. Mount Pleasant (11-1) 5

GIRLS SWIMMING

1. Ursuline (6-1) 1

2. Charter of Wilmington (8-0) 2

3. Cape Henlopen (12-0) 3

4. Newark Charter (9-1) 4

5. Padua (7-1) 5

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

Athlete of the Week: Cameron Lewis, track and field, Lake Forest

THE WEEK: Won the boys shot put title with a best effort of 48 feet, 5 inches at the DIAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday in Landover, Md.

THE EXPECTATION: “I came in expecting to win,” Lewis said. “The first throws didn’t go as I normally throw, but I came out the winner.”

THE GRAND FINALE: Lewis’ best distance came on his last of six attempts. “The first ones were a little worse than normal, but the last one was up there,” he said. “I just focused on kicking my foot back. I wasn’t kicking hard enough on the first throws, so I kicked back and got the extra feet.”

THE COACH SAYS: “He got his foot back when he threw the last one, and that really got his power,” Lake Forest throwing coach Ronnie Hovington said. “He got his head back, came across his body real well. He did everything he was supposed to do.”

THE FORM: At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Lewis is big, but wasn’t the biggest competitor in the field. He won with his form. “Just having better technique than them, and being more explosive,” Lewis said. “The better technique allows you to get some more length on your throws, even if you’re not strong enough.”

THE SEASON: Lewis has been preparing by competing in the Bayside meets through the winter in Snow Hill, Md. “He’s been doing a good job throwing down there,” Hovington said. “He just keeps getting better and better, and I knew he could pull it off. He just had to do his right techniques and get his power behind him.”

THE ADVANTAGE: Hovington said Lewis’ height and lean build are assets. “He’s got that length and that real whip with his body,” the coach said. “And he’s got some great technique. Using all of that together, it helped him pull this thing off.”

THE CLASSROOM: Lewis’ favorite subject is Science. “I just like learning about the body, learning about the different things that go into science,” he said.

THE FUTURE: Lewis, who played wide receiver at Lake Forest last fall, hopes to play college football as a tight end. He has received some recruiting interest but has yet to decide on a destination.

Send Athlete of the Week nominations to Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

Cameron Lewis of Lake Forest won the boys shot put during the DIAA Indoor Track and Field Championships Saturday in Landover, Md.

Tatnall’s Keelin Hays (left) unleashes a final rally to edge Padua’s Lydia Olivere by .03 of a second in the girls 1,600 meters at the DIAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Landover, Md.

LANDOVER, Md. – The cheers inside the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Center reached a crescendo as Lydia Olivere and Keelin Hays matched strides over the final 100 meters Saturday.

No one was surprised, but everyone was thrilled.

The junior from Padua and sophomore from Tatnall staged another of their epic duels in the girls 1,600 meters at the DIAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. This time, Hays hit the line in 5:01.25, an inch or two ahead of Olivere’s 5:01.28.

It wasn’t the first time, and it won’t be the last. What was a rivalry last year has turned into a friendly rivalry, and that makes it even more special.

“It’s always nice to have someone that you’re able to compete against and just push each other,” Hays said. “So I thought it was so nice that we could work together to just get each other the best time possible for the day.”

They met again an hour and 40 minutes later in the 3,200, where Olivere pulled away. The Padua runner finished in 11:25.13, more than 17 seconds ahead of Hays. The loss in the 1,600 had stoked her intensity.

Padua’s Lydia Olivere (left) and Tatnall’s Keelin Hays run in stride before Hays won the 1600 meter race during the DIAA state indoor track championships Saturday in Landover, Md.

“I was fired up after that,” Olivere said. “It gave me more confidence. I was excited, especially since I like the 3,200 more. So I was really excited to see what I could do.”

They have been going at it for the last two years, in cross country and indoor and outdoor track. But even in a small state, they are often separated. Olivere competes for Padua in Division I, while Hays runs for Tatnall in Division II. So they don’t meet as often as you would think.

On Oct. 16, 2005, Olivere won the Joe O’Neill Invitational cross country race at Bellevue State Park in 17:30. Hays finished third, a full 55 seconds behind. But three weeks later, on Nov. 7, Hays beat Olivere for the first time, finishing the New Castle County Championships course at Winterthur in 18:01.93 to Olivere’s 18:02.98.

Their next true showdown came in the 1,600 at the New Castle County outdoor championships, on May 14 at Baynard Stadium, when Hays edged Olivere by .03 of a second in 4:56.70. Both contested the 3,200 at the Meet of Champions in June, with Olivere winning by 10 seconds in 10:37.

Olivere had the upper hand during the cross country season last fall, beating Hays at the Joe O’Neill and New Castle County meets. Both won their divisions at the DIAA meet for the second straight time, then moved on to the Nike Cross Southeast Regionals in Cary, N.C.

Olivere finished third and Hays took fifth, qualifying both for the Nike Cross Nationals on Dec. 3. They traveled together to Portland, Ore., and roomed together for the first time, and a friendship was born.

“It was awesome,” Olivere said. “Before, we were racing against each other, but there was still kind of unknown factor, what we were really like. So it was just such a nice bonding opportunity. I love her, she’s awesome… I have a lot of respect for her. We both know how to work hard, and we had a lot of fun.”

Olivere finished 24th and Hays came home 54th at the national meet. And they learned a lot about each other.

“We got pretty close at Nike Nationals, and it was really nice to get to know each other in a non-competitive way,” Hays said. “But we also know that we’re great competitors, and we just push each other to do our best.”

They certainly pushed each other on Saturday. Olivere fought off Hays’ first move with about 300 meters to go, quickly regaining the lead.

“The first move was deflected,” Hays said. “I was a little discouraged at that point. But then I really had to go back to how many points could I get for the team. Is it eight [for second place], or is it going to be 10? So I just put the team back on my back and just kept pushing through the finish, see how much I had left.”

Hays had just enough left to win. But Olivere was just as proud.

“I was so happy with what my time was, and how I just raced,” Olivere said. “The fact that I was able to negative split, and I really haven’t done that for a while. So it’s all about improvement. Sadly, I got nipped at the line, but in the end, I was able to contribute for my team and get eight points, and that’s all that matters.”

Padua wound up winning the Indoor team title, for the fifth straight season, while Tatnall finished second. Pandas coach Marnie Giunta enjoyed the Hays-Olivere showdown as much as anyone.

“It’s going to be like that until Lydia graduates, I’m sure,” Giunta said. “You’re going to always have that duel, and they’re two great runners.”

Two great runners who now know each other, and will continue to push each other to their outer limits.

“It’s awesome,” Olivere said. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without her. I think it’s a healthy rivalry, and it’s just a really nice thing to have. Because without competition, things would just be boring. That’s not what we want.”

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

Salesianum’s Michael Kempski scores against William Penn on Dec. 6. The Sals (10-5) have won three straight to move into The News Journal Top 10 at No. 8.

The Salesianum basketball team had lost four of its previous six games going into a Jan. 20 meeting with archrival St. Mark’s. And that afternoon, coach Brendan Haley found out that 6-foot-8 sophomore Tariq Ingraham – the Sals’ leading scorer – had been declared academically ineligible.

So how have the Sals’ responded? By winning four of their last five, including three straight close ones over quality opponents. The biggest was a 39-37 shocker over then-No. 1 Mount Pleasant 39-37 on Saturday.

“We’ve been doing a lot of good things in crunch time, and it’s been different guys, which is kind of cool,” Haley said. “We’re defending, holding teams down.”

The Sals (10-5) have moved back into The News Journal’s Top 10 at No. 8, and it all started when they pulled away for a surprisingly easy, 56-39 win at St. Mark’s. Proceeds from the game went to pediatric cancer, a fact Haley used in his pregame message to a team suddenly playing without its star center.

“We just had a good talk before the game about perspective, and how we’re blessed, and just play the game hard,” Haley said. “Don’t worry about the things that have happened, because there are a lot worse things going on.”

The Sals lost 36-30 at Sanford, but caught a break in nipping St. Elizabeth 56-55 on a last-second shot that even Haley admitted was a tick beyond the buzzer. Then they got past Appoquinimink 48-46 before knocking off Mount Pleasant.

“We talked about how we’re a different style now, and everybody is going to have to step up because it’s a huge piece that is now not there,” Haley said. “We’re just going to need a little more out of everybody.”

Senior guard Michael Kempski and junior forward Paul Brown have picked up offensively, and senior guard Duncan Trerotola hit 4 of 5 3-pointers on the way to a game-high 16 points against the Green Knights.

Ingraham didn’t miss a beat, already transferring to Ranney School in Tinton Falls, N.J., which is 15-2 and ranked 17th in that fiercely competitive state. But Salesianum has carried on and even flourished with more of a free-flowing, perimeter-oriented attack.

“Our plan with him was that we want to play an interior game,” Haley said. “But we just were having a hard time getting the results. We were a little more stationary than I hoped we would be. … When he was gone, it just became more imperative that the four guys on the outside have to be more aggressive.”

The Sals close the regular season with four of their last five games at home – against Brandywine, St. Mark’s, Wilmington Friends and Concord. The only road trip is to Sussex Tech on Feb. 18.

More signings

More Delaware high school senior athletes continue to make their college athletic decisions official, including Tower Hill’s Morgan Rollins (Temple soccer), Newark resident B’Ahmad Miller, who attends St. Frances Academy in Baltimore (Maryland football), Caesar Rodney’s Najee Whitted (Shepherd football), Appoquinimink’s Connor Feinour (Widener swimming), Indian River’s McClain Smith (Millersville soccer), St. Mark’s David Balint (Shippensburg football), St. Thomas More’s Kexxer Camarco (Delaware soccer), Tatnall’s Cameron Easton (Southern Connecticut State football), Daniel Murphy (Susquehanna baseball), Sully Saunders (Misericordia track and field) and Terry Li (St. Lawrence swimming); and Charter of Wilmington’s Leah Frerichs (Mount Aloysius soccer).

Rounding it up

— St. Thomas More guard Eric Montanez reached 1,000 career points with 26 in a 71-58 victory over St. Andrew’s on Friday. The Newark resident transferred to the Ravens from Chichester (Pa.) for his senior season.

— Charter of Wilmington took the team title at the Red Clay district wrestling championships on Saturday at Conrad. Elias Smith (106), Jessey Muaka (126), Johnny Garcia (138) and Kyle Lank (220) won individual titles for the Force. Other weight-class winners were Delaware Military Academy’s Dylan Peters (113), Zachary Martinez (120), Justin Morgan (152), Joey Scalia (182) and Hunter Balback (285); A.I. du Pont’s Azeem Bell (132), Jamier Schaener (145), Andrew Harp (170) and Kajie Li (195); and Conrad’s Elijah Walton (160).

— Wilmington Friends freshman soccer player Oryem Kilama has been selected to the Region 1 boys’ Olympic Development Program team. He will compete in the Mediterranean International Cup from April 11-16 in Spain.

— The Henlopen Conference Swimming Championships will be held Saturday at Sussex Academy, with action starting at 10 a.m. Tickets are $5.

— Wilmington Christian is seeking a head coach for girls volleyball. Email athletic director Pam Love at plove@wilmingtonchristian.org or call (302) 239-2121 ext. 3320 for details.

— A.I. du Pont is seeking a head coach for girls tennis. Email athletic director Mark Alley at mark.alley@redclay.k12.de.us for details.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

NEW CASTLE – Mount Pleasant boys basketball coach Lisa Sullivan felt her team wasn’t getting fully involved in games quickly enough.

So the Green Knights came out in a full-court press on Tuesday at William Penn.

“Beginning to end, we just felt like it was a good look for us,” Sullivan said. “We have to come so early to games that we sit around for a couple of hours. I just wanted to get them up and moving, into the game earlier.”

Mount Pleasant’s Fah’Mir Ali( front) lifts a shot past William Penn’s Buck Bowling (center) and Jermal Crumel in the second half of Mount Pleasant’s 55-45 win at William Penn Tuesday.

The pressure paid dividends in the form of 13 turnovers – 10 in the first half – that made the difference as No. 3 Mount Pleasant survived a 3-point barrage from the Colonials and clinched at least a share of the Blue Hen Flight A championship with a 55-45 victory.

“We press a lot in practice,” said the Green Knights’ Ny’Jere Hodges, who transferred from William Penn for his senior season. “We try to develop that and use it on the court. I like how we all executed and worked hard on it.”

Mount Pleasant (16-3, 7-0) hit its first four shots, with Vincent Smith lobbing to KVonn Cramer for a thunderous dunk that made it 8-2 and prompted a Colonials timeout.

William Penn got 3-pointers from Dasir King and Jordan Harding to pull within 13-9 after one quarter. That’s when the press really started to click.

Mount Pleasant’s Fah’Mir Ali drives in front of William Penn’s Gerrad Wall in the second half of Mount Pleasant’s 55-45 win at William Penn Tuesday.

Fah’Mir Ali turned a steal into a layup, then got another easy score off another turnover to make it 17-11. The Green Knights ended the first half on an 8-2 run, with Ali scoring off his own miss at the buzzer for a 27-18 cushion.

“I’m going to lead them a little bit, calm us down,” said Ali, who led all scorers with 14 points. “I got together, talked to them, and we really knew what to do after that.”

The press got to the Colonials again at the start of the fourth quarter. Ali scored off a turnover, then pulled up for a short jumper that made it 42-26 with 5:21 to play.

“I have so many kids, and they’re so athletic,” Sullivan said of the Green Knights, who played 10 players in the win. “We can press all the time and keep fresh kids all the time, because we’re so deep.”

The Colonials (9-7, 5-2) fought to get back in it with 3s from Tim Bateman, Harding, and Terin Cochran. William Penn hit 7 of 13 (53.8 percent) from behind the arc, but it seemed like even more to Sullivan.

“Kudos to them,” she said. “I don’t know what their shooting percentage was, but it had to be astronomical. They made the shots when they had to.”

The Green Knights had been ranked No. 1 all season, until wrapping close losses to Hodgson and Salesianum around a big conference win over Newark last week. A little pressure got their blood flowing immediately Tuesday.

“It definitely wakes you up,” Sullivan said. “You tell them, ‘On any given day.’ Sallies had the perfect storm. Hodgson had the perfect storm. But we learned from it, and now we’ve made adjustments. Should we see that again, I feel pretty confident that it will be a different outcome.”

Doug Sneh added 10 points for Mount Pleasant. King and Harding each scored 13 for William Penn.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ.

Mount Pleasant’s Ny’Jere Hodges (left) pushes the ball up court and in front of William Penn’s Jermal Crumel in the second half of Mount Pleasant’s 55-45 win at William Penn Tuesday.

Mount Pleasant’s KVonn Cramer (center) is filed moving between William Penn’s Terin Cochran (left) and Buck Bowling in the second half of Mount Pleasant’s 55-45 win at William Penn Tuesday.