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Scoring

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Seaford's 2001-2002 Recap

Henlopen Sports Forum

Photos: Seaford guard Ashlee Burbage (top) and Roniece Williams (below) were the Blue Jays' top scorers along with center Kadedra Brittingham and Ebony Keaton.

GEORGETOWN -- The Seaford High School girls' basketball program has become an icon in downstate Delaware.

With five division titles and five Henlopen Conference championships since 1990, the Blue Jays have truly embodied the term "dynasty" below the canal.

But rarely have the Blue Jays had the chance to prove themselves against upstate powers.

Seaford will now get that chance after defeating rival Caesar Rodney, 63-47, in the 2002 Delaware state tournament quarterfinals on Monday, March 4, to earn its first trip to the Final Four at the University of Delaware's Carpenter Center.

The Blue Jays have been to the semifinals only once before, way back in 1982.

Seaford's second win over CR in a week -- Seaford beat the Riders 48-41 in the Henlopen Conference championship game on Monday, Feb. 25 -- pits the Blue Jays against top-seeded A.I. DuPont in the 6:30 p.m. semifinal game on Wednesday, March 6.

Polytech will meet No. 2 St. Mark's in the other semifinal approximately 20 minutes after the Seaford-A.I. DuPont contest. Tickets good for both semifinal games are $5 apiece.

Unlike the conference championship last week, when the Blue Jays fell behind the Riders early, fourth-seeded Seaford bolted to a 17-7 advantage in Monday night's game at Sussex Tech.

Senior center Kadedra Brittingham and sophomore forward Roniece Williams each scored four points during the Blue Jays' blazing start on the way to 13 points apiece. Ashlee Burbage and Ebony Keaton led the Jays with 15 and 14 points, respectively.

CR did make a run in the third quarter. Trailing 30-20 at halftime, the Riders outscored Seaford 13-6 to pull within 36-33 with one minute to go in the third.

But after a timeout, the Blue Jays went on a 7-1 run in the final minute to lead 43-34 heading into the fourth period.

The Riders weren't finished, though, as they scored the first five points of the final quarter to draw within 43-39, but the Blue Jays gradually pulled away the rest of the game.

CAESAR RODNEY (47) -- Katie Miller 0 0-0 0, Rosa White 1 0-1 2, Patricia Millner 1 1-2 1, Nicole Mack 2 0-1 6, Rae Everson 0 0-0 0, Amy Graham 1 0-0 2, Trish Casarotto 6 0-0 12, Chante Livingston 5 5-6 16, April Jackson 1 0-0 2, Micki Younger 1 4-10 6. TOTALS 17 10-20 47.

Three-point field goals: Seaford 4 (Ashlee Burbage 2, Roniece Williams, Tonya Purnell), Caesar Rodney 3 (Nicole Mack 2, Chante Livingston).

• Three Seaford players were involved in a minor auto accident on Sunday, March 3, and spent some time in Peninsula Regional Medical Center that evening. Senior Kadadra Brittingham, Roniece Williams and Ashley Dean were in the accident on U.S. 13. None of the injuries were serious and all were released.
  
  
• A.I. DuPont improved to 23-1 after surviving its quarterfinal game against Caravel, 39-34, in overtime. In other quarterfinal games Monday, No. 2 St. Mark's defeated William Penn 63-39 and No. 6 Polytech downed No. 3 Sanford 43-42.
  
  
• Of the four programs in the Final Four, two-time defending state champion St. Mark's has won six state championships and A.I. DuPont has won one. The only Henlopen Conference team to ever win a girls' state championship was Cape Henlopen under former coach Bob Cassady back in 1973.
  
  
• Caesar Rodney concluded its season with a 19-6 record. The Riders went to the Final Four last season. They were the only conference team to beat Seaford this year.

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