SALISBURY- The 34th Annual Governor’s Challenge holiday basketball tournament remained in full swing this week with games practically around the clock including some mixed early results for local teams competing.
The Governor’s Challenge, long a staple on the holiday high school basketball tournament scene, began last Saturday with a full slate of games practically around the clock featuring some of the top boys’ and girls’ varsity programs in the region. Since its inception, the annual tournament has grown to become the largest high school basketball tournament in Maryland and perhaps the largest on the east coast.
Roughly 100 boys and girls programs from Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, New York, New Jersey competed all week, mainly at the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center, although games were played at satellite locations including Wicomico and Bennett High Schools and the Salisbury School.
Locally, the teams competing were having mixed results in the early round action as of late Tuesday, but there was much to be decided heading into the tournament’s final day on Wednesday. Worcester Prep’s boys’ varsity basketball team lost its two contests, but acquitted themselves well in the pair of close games.
The Mallards dropped their opener to Kings Christian School, 47-43, in a close one last Saturday. Pat Petrara led Worcester with 14 points and six rebounds. Back in action on Monday, the Mallards dropped another close one to Mardela, 54-50. Worcester jumped out to an early lead and led 15-1 after one quarter. Mardela cut the lead to two at the half and three by the end of the third before pulling away from Worcester at the end.
Stephen Decatur’s girls’ varsity team took some early lumps in the Governor’s Challenge against strong competition. The Seahawks lost to McDonough, 72-30, on Saturday and fell to Walt Whitman, 77-33, on Monday. The Decatur boys had their first tournament game against Battlefield on Tuesday night in a game played too late to be included in this edition.