Royals girls fall to Silver Eagles 39-32
The Delmarva Christian girls’ basketball team’s season came to an end Feb. 24, with a 39-32 loss to No. 16 seed Hodgson in Newark.
The No. 17 Royals started off with a hot hand, outscoring Hodgson 11-3 thanks to a high-powered pressure defense that led to four steals.
The Silver Eagles took flight in the second quarter, as senior Marissa Isbell tallied seven and junior Kaniyah Melvin-McNeill put up six to take an 18-17 lead into the halftime break. The Silver Eagles won the second half 21-15 to garner the seven-point win.
Royals junior Eve Bohinski ended the game with a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, while senior guard Bella Marinelli recorded 11 points, four rebounds and three steals. Senior Layni Dukes filled the stat sheet with seven points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals.
“I’m so proud of all of the girls,” said Dukes. “We played well, but we didn’t play our best. We made them earn this win. It feels bad that we couldn’t keep the first-quarter lead throughout the game, but it showed that we had potential and we deserved to be here.”
“These girls are a great group,” said Marinelli. “They will do great the next few years. They welcomed me when I was a sophomore, and I love them. I’m so proud to be a part of this team.”
“I’m extremely proud of the girls,” said coach Frank Roach. “An ESIAC title and a state tournament berth was very important to us. We accomplished our goals. We worked hard. We wanted to win. It didn’t happen, but overall I liked everything about this team this year. Their determination, their fight and willingness to learn. They put it out on the floor. We played hard and gave it our all.”
The Silver Eagles fell to No. 1 seed Caravel Academy 67-27 Feb. 26.
Dan has worked for the Cape Gazette for more than 30 years as a photographer and reporter, covering high school sports and happenings around eastern Sussex County. He won a photography award from the National Newspaper Association, and numerous awards from the Maryland, Delaware, D.C. Press Association. A Delaware native, Dan graduated from Cape in 1972 and returned as a teacher and coach in the 1980s. He retired from the classroom in 2016. He was inducted into Cape High’s Legends Stadium in 2016. In his spare time, Dan enjoys spending time with his wife, two sons, grandchildren and dogs.
