By Chris Stevens, Editor
Even after trailing by 10 points no less than four times in Monday night’s DIAA girls’ basketball quarterfinal game against Flight B rival Howard, A.I. duPont never lost hope that they would be the first Tiger team to make the trip to the Bob Carpenter center in 21 years.
Thanks to key fourth quarter baskets by Sydney Hilliard, Ny’Aijah Jackson and Amanii Brice, that’s just what happened as the Tigers scratched and clawed past the gritty Wildcats 55-50 to earn a shot at top-seeded Caravel in Wednesday’s semifinals at the Bob, an incredible achievement for a program that did not field a team as recently as 2021.
“We’re not done yet but building this program from the ground up is super sweet,” A.I. head coach Robert “Lucky” Price said. “No one picked us here, no one wanted us here, but we believed in ourselves.”
“It’s a big deal for the school because we haven’t been there in a while,” said Hilliard, who finished with a game-high 16 points, as well as six assists. “We’re just enjoying the moment right now.”
That moment was up in the air for much of Monday’s ballgame as Howard, riding the momentum of an upset win at Padua last Friday, started strong behind the play of senior guard Kaniah Murray-Chambers and first year forward Ha’Lena Griffin. Murray-Chambers scored eight of her team-high 11 points in the first half, including a deep three-ball in the corner to give the Wildcats (15-7) a 29-19 lead with 10 seconds to go in the half.
Hilliard finally hit her first field goal as a response at the halftime buzzer to cut Howard’s lead back to 7. Griffin, starting in place of Londen Bungy, did an excellent job as the post player in the Wildcat lineup, scoring 8 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and blocking four shots.
Howard’s final double-digit lead (39-29) came on a Destiny Smith putback with 2 1/2 minutes to go in the third, but a Hilliard three and layups by Jourdyn Henderson and Ke’Niya White pulled A.I. within three points going to the fourth quarter. After two Glory Forbi free throws, Howard led 47-40 with a little under five minutes to go. Then A.I. made their move.
Down five, Hilliard drained another three to cut into the Howard lead and after a Wildcat turnover led to a Laila Selby-Blalock bucket, the game was tied at 47. The go-ahead score came when Howard couldn’t get a time out and Jackson intercepted a desperation inbound pass and stormed to the basket for a layup. Hilliard and Brice combined on a pass and layup, and each split a pair of free throws to end it.
“We knew we had to keep pushing,” Brice said. “We weren’t given anything, so we just kept pushing.”
