After quickly agreeing to hold a girls’ state basketball tournament during the fall of 1972, the very first Delaware high school girls’ basketball champion was crowned the following March, starting off with eight teams in the tournament and ending with one winner.
The first round took place on February 26 with four games at four neutral sites – Conrad defeated Sussex Central 54-44, Mt. Pleasant upended Laurel 44-37, Cape Henlopen beat Smyrna 35-29 and Ursuline edged Brandywine 38-36. In the semifinals on Thursday March 1, Cape Henlopen upset previously unbeaten Conrad 38-34 and Mount Pleasant held off Ursuline 37-30.
Monday night March 5, 1973, the first girls basketball’ state championship game was held at Milford High School. A closely played game throughout, forward Virginia Savage rebounded a missed free throw and scored the winning lay-up with 1:16 left in the fourth quarter to give Cape a 33-31 win over Mt. Pleasant, becoming the first girls’ hoops champs in the First State. Amy Reed was the leading scorer for the Vikings with nine points, while Dianne Berens and Savage added eight and six points respectively.
Sue Dobson led Mount Pleasant with 12 points.
1973 Delaware girls’ basketball tournament
Quarterfinals – February 26
Mt. Pleasant 44, Laurel 37 (at Smyrna High School)
Conrad 54, Sussex Central 44 (at St. Mark’s High School)
Ursuline 38, Brandywine 36 (at Dickinson High School)
Cape Henlopen 35, Smyrna 29 (at Caesar Rodney High School)
Semifinals – March 1
Mt. Pleasant 37, Ursuline 30 (at Christiana High School)
Cape Henlopen 38, Conrad 34 (at Dover High School)
Championship Game – March 5 (at Milford High School)
Cape Henlopen 33, Mt. Pleasant 31
