BERLIN- Worcester Prep’s boys’ varsity basketball team won a thriller last weekend, beating Delmarva Christian, 41-40, on Senior Day.
In a game moved to a rare Saturday afternoon start after Friday’s contest was postponed due to weather, the Mallards took on the Royals at home in front of a big crowd. Worcester scored first on a nice hook by Nick Curtis and made to 6-2 on a fast break lay-up by Owen Nalley before Delmarva Christian tied it a 6-6 with just over four minutes remaining in the first.
Curtis got a rebound and made a lay-up to put Worcester ahead, then converted a free throw to extend the lead to 9-6. The Royals answered with a long three-pointer to tie the game again at 9-9 with under a minute remaining in the period. Curtis scored on a lay-up from an inbounds pass with two seconds left and the Mallards closed out the quarter with an 11-9 lead.
Worcester’s Tucker Brown opened the second with a three-pointer to extend the lead to 14-9, but Delmarva Christian answered to cut the lead to 14-11. Worcester’s Sam Cantello went strong to the hole to extend the lead to 16-11, and in the next sequence, Cantello took a long pass from Brendan Miller and caught in stride over his shoulder before converting the lay-up and extending the lead to 18-11.
Worcester extended the lead to 20-12 on a nice assist from Cantello to Patrick Petrara with 1:39 remaining in the half. However, Delmarva Christian scored with four seconds left in the period and converted a three-point play to cut the lead to 20-15 at the intermission.
In the third, Delmarva Christian came out firing and started the period with an 8-2 run to take its first lead of the game at 23-22. The only Worcester basket during the stretch was a lay-up by Reece Brown. Petrara put the Mallards ahead, 23-22, with a nice little jumper in the paint, but again the Royals responded and took the lead right back on their next possession.
Nally converted a pair of free throws and Cantello scored again on a fast break lay-up to put Worcester ahead, 28-26, but Delmarva Christian answered with a pair of foul shots and the game was tied again at 28-28 with under a minute left in the period. Cantello closed out the third with a jumper with 20 seconds remaining and Worcester led 30-28 heading into the final quarter.
The same pattern continued in the fourth. The Royals nailed a long three to go ahead, 31-30, but a fast break lay-up by Nally put Worcester back on top at 32-31. A Tucker Brown jumper put Worcester ahead, 34-33, but a Delmarva Christian free throw tied the game again with five minutes remaining.
Delmarva Christian took a 36-34 lead, but Brenner Maull converted on a nice assist from Cantello to tie the game again at 36-36. After the two teams swapped free throws, the game was tied at 37-37 with 2:47 left. The Royals scored on a lay-up and converted the free throw for a 40-37 lead with just over two minutes left in the game.
After a Delmarva Christian turnover, Tucker Brown scored on a runner to cut the lead to 40-39 with a minute remaining. When the Royals inbounded the ball with less than a minute left, the pass was knocked away resulting in mad scramble for the loose ball on the floor. Maull grabbed the loose ball and was able to call a time out with just 45 seconds left.
Worcester inbounded the ball to Cantello, who scored on a driving lay-up in traffic with 22 seconds remaining to put the Mallards ahead, 41-40. Worcester stole the inbounds pass and was fouled, but was unable to build on its lead at the free throw line. Delmarva Christian had one last chance to steal the game with two seconds left, but a length of the court inbounds pass was batted away and the Mallards pulled out the 41-40 win.