Julius Wright (23) scored 22 points to lead six St. Elizabeth players in double figures, photo courtesy of Nick Halliday
WILMINGTON — Julius Wright scored 22 points to lead six St. Elizabeth players in double figures as the Vikings made a statement in an 86-67 win over William Penn at a sold-out St. E Center on Thursday night.
The Colonials, who entered the game ranked fifth in the state by Delaware Live, took a 13-11 lead in the first quarter on two free throws, but St. E’s responded with a 10-0 run to end the quarter. That stretch included two three-pointers in the final 33 seconds, including a buzzer-beater by freshman Kiyen Alexander.
Speaking of threes, Penn got several in the second from Elin McCoy and Jaylin Horsey, but the Vikings continued to blister the nets. They hit five more triples in the quarter, and, for good measure, Wright and Steven Nixon Jr. had old-fashioned three-point plays.
The Colonials did get the Vikings’ lead down to single digits in the final minute of the half, but the Vikings led by 13 at the break.
Aiden Tobiason, the St. Elizabeth senior who has signed with Temple University, scored 12 points in the first half, but he spent most of the third quarter on the bench in foul trouble. William Penn had its highest-scoring quarter as Emmanuel Vonhm took advantage of Tobiason’s absence to score 10 points, and Horsey, who had been mostly outside in the first half, got closer to the hoop for nine points in the third.
Still, the Vikings’ lead was 15 with 30 seconds remaining in the third, but William Penn put together a mini-run before it ended. That included a follow shot by Vonhm with six seconds left, then a steal and layup by Horsey as time expired.
The lead for St. Elizabeth was 10, but they erased any doubt with a hot start to the fourth. A 12-2 start, which started with a Wright layup and three balls for Hunter and Tobias Reese, quickly increased the lead to 20, and the margin remained in that neighborhood for the remainder of the night.
St. Elizabeth players joining Wright in double figures included Tobiason and Reese with 15 each, Alexander and Nixon with 11 each, and Hunter with 10. The Vikings (2-0) are at St. Georges next Thursday at 5:15 p.m.
Horsey led the Colonials with 23, and Vonhm added 11. Penn (1-1) is off until Dec. 26, when they will participate in the Governor’s Challenge at Wicomico High School in Salisbury, Md.
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