By Chris Stevens, Editor
The void that last season’s cancellation left for the St. Elizabeth girls’ basketball team has been the driving force for the team’s success this season.
Wednesday night, senior guard Olivia Lynch kicked it into high gear with a stat sheet-stuffer of a game as the top-seeded Vikings (14-0) wore down No. 4 Caravel 56-35 in the DIAA girls’ basketball semifinals. The Vikings, semifinalists a year ago when the season was canceled because of the COVID pandemic, will now face No. 3 seed Sanford for the state championship Friday night at Dover High School.
“That’s Libby,” Vikings head coach Dan Cooney said after his point guard scored 15 points, handed out three assists and contributed four steals and two blocks in the winning cause. “She has the personality, the drive to be a leader and this team follows her.”
“Last year, we felt we were the best team in the state,” Lynch said. “We want to finish this for ourselves and last year’s seniors. Our expectation is nothing less than a state championship.”
Lynch proved she meant business early on by setting up her teammates for open looks at the basket – most notably first year forward Ericka Huggins, who contributed 11 points. Most of Huggins’ baskets were on drives and dishes by Lynch, surrounded by Caravel defenders. Lynch also did damage with her own shot, making a baseline three early in the second quarter for a 22-8 St. E advantage, then she scored eight points during a 15-7 third quarter run that put the game away.
Cooney was extremely pleased with the defensive effort, as well the overall resilience of a team who felt they were ready for their championship moment a year ago.
“I’ve been doing this for 25 years and that was the toughest conversation I’ve ever had to have with a team,” the coach said of notifying his players the 2019-20 season was canceled without a champion. “The seniors from last year have been in constant contact with this year’s team, telling them ‘finish what we started.'”
“Unfortunately last year, COVID stopped us from proving ourselves,” Lynch added, “so this year, we’re trying to redeem ourselves and last year’s seniors. We came this far to win the championship.
India Johnston lead Caravel (10-6) with 14 points.
