WILMINGTON – St. Elizabeth had narrowed Monsignor Scanlan’s sizeable lead to a single point in the final three minutes of the third quarter of Thursday afternoon’s Saint Francis Healthcare Cup losers’ bracket game, but mistakes proved costly for the Vikings in a 53-44 loss.
“The great thing about this tournament is getting great out-of-state teams to come in and this will only make us better,” Vikings head coach Dan Cooney said. “These teams play a different style of basketball and that will get us ready for league play and playing teams in Delaware.”
The Vikings (2-3) got off to a solid start, taking a 13-9 lead after the first quarter behind solid play from junior center Alexis Lee, freshman guard Sha’Nia Davis and senior forward Alanna Speaks, who combined for 11 of the Vikings’ 13 first quarter points.
Scanlan turned the tables in the second and third quarters, getting 13 points from Channell Williams and 12 from Kayla Morris to open up a 10-point lead midway through the third quarter.
St. E closed the gap to 33-32 on a Dymond Collins free throw, but turnovers and costly shots helped Scanlan re-establish a comfortable 40-32 lead heading in the fourth quarter and the Vikings never recovered.
“The good teams we play, we need to correct our mistakes because we can’t get away with some of the bad passes and shots we’ve been getting away with against other teams,” Cooney explained. “It just jumped from one point to eight points because we allowed everything to get away from us and it was all mental mistakes.”
The coach is hopeful that starting with Friday’s losers bracket game against Cumberland Valley (Pa.), the Vikings will turn things around.
“I want them to go home and think about it because it a loss and we’re not here to lose,” he said. “We’ve got to turn around tomorrow at 9:30 and play a really good Cumberland Valley team to prepare us for the rest of the regular season. That’s what it’s about.”
Alexis Lee led St. Elizabeth with 15 points, while Alanna Speaks and Sha’Nia Davis added 10 and seven points respectively for the Vikings.
Monsignor Scanlan guard, Channel Williams, reacts as she hits the floor after colliding with a defender.
St. Elizabeth guard Sha’Nia Davis gets tripped up driving to the basket late in the game with no fouled called as they lose to Monsignor Scanlan with a final score of 53-44 in the Diamond State Classic at St. Elizabeths School.
St. Elizabeth guard, Lexi Bromwell gets pressure from Monsignor Scanlan guard, Daja Wentz.
St. Elizabeth center, Alexis Lee, hits the floor as she dives for the loose ball loses to Monsignor Scanlan 53-44 in the Diamond State Clasin the second half.
St. Elizabeth forward, Dymond Collins (center), gets blocked by two Monsignor Scanlan defenders, Kayla Morris (left) and Kaylen Banwareesingh.
St. Elizabeth senior, Lexi Bromwell (left), and teammate Alexis Lee pressures Monsignor Scanlan guard, Kateri Poole, who tries to squeeze through the two defenders.
Monsignor Scanlan guard, Kateri Poole, gets around a defender as she drives to the basket.
St. Elizabeth forward, Dymond Collins, gets the ball stripped away from her by Monsignor Scanlan guard, Channel Williams (left).
Monsignor Scanlan guard, Channel Williams, tries to dribble around St. Elizabeth defender, Alanna Speaks in the first half.
Players battle for the rebound as St. Elizabeth takes on Monsignor Scanlan in the Diamond State Classic at St. Elizabeths School.
St. Elizabeth senior, Lexi Bromwell, tries to take away the ball from Monsignor Scanlan guard, Daja Wentz in the first half.
