Sussex Academy hoopsters fall to Seaford
Seaford junior Amira Tingle put on a show Dec. 14, as the Blue Jays capitalized on a shorthanded Sussex Academy team to win 56-23 in Georgetown.
Tingle scored 29 points, grabbed 17 boards, stole three balls and registered five helpers. Her three three-pointers were no-doubters.
Missing captain Rachel Carey, Sussex Academy players fought hard, but were met with a formidable opponent. Tasked with filling Carey’s shoes down low was senior Samira Zahraoui.
“Samira has stepped up big time for us,” said Sussex Academy coach Rayona Benson. “This is her first year playing organized basketball, and she’s gained so much knowledge within the last month. She listens to what we need from her and executes.”
Zahraoui battled in the paint and wasn’t afraid to mix it up, but the talented Blue Jays proved to be just too much.
Sussex Academy was able to force some turnovers and gave effort on every possession. Unfortunately, captain Emiley Bisaha appeared to suffer a serious injury in the closing moments.
“These games are always a learning experience, so we’ll go back to the drawing board and continue to put work in,” Benson said.
Boys fall to Seaford
Things didn’t improve for the home team in the nightcap, as the boys squared off against a Seaford squad coming off a one-loss regular season last year. The Blue Jays never took the foot off the gas and played aggressively to pick up the 86-14 win. Sophomore Vincent Evans nailed a trio of three-pointers on his way to a team-high 15 points. Senior Kashmier Wise stayed in the arch to hit seven buckets on his way to 14 points.
“They were so aggressive,” said Sussex Academy coach Brad Leinbach. “They ended up putting us in the bonus a few times, which is great, but that's the things you can point out ... it doesn't really take a 6-foot-5 frame or extraordinary athleticism; it's a mentality and a mindset. We want to show and instill that in our guys.”
Sophomore Tate Sickler led the Seahawks with seven points, while fellow sophomore Nate Elliott had four and was perfect from the charity stripe.
Both teams will take on Early College School at Delaware State Tuesday, Dec. 19. The boys will host at 5:15 p.m., while the girls head to Dover for a 6:30 p.m. tip-off.
