Archmere Basketball Defeats Brandywine in Close Match
On January 3 at Brandywine, the Archmere men's basketball team took home a victory, but it was a 42-40 nailbiter that came down to the final seconds. From the first quarter, the game went back and forth. The Auks trailed, 10-7, late in the first quarter when Matt McCarthy '24 drained a long three-point attempt to tie it up. Before the first quarter ended, Matt Malloy '24 and McCarthy added threes, giving the Auks a 16-10 lead heading into the second. The long-distance accuracy continued and Archmere’s advantage grew to 25-10, but that point cushion came to end by halftime as the Bulldogs scored the final six points and trailed by just one, 26-25, at the break.
Archmere opened up a six-point advantage early in the second half, but again, the Bulldogs fought back.
In the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs were on top 38-37, but the Auks answered quickly with P.J. Blessington '24 hitting a short jumper. The Bulldogs missed a three, and Matt McCarthy responded by making a pair of free throws with 43.1 seconds to go that extended the lead to 41-38. After a Brandywine turnover, Matt McCarthy again hit one of two from the stripe to add to the lead with 10.3 seconds remaining. After a Brandywine bucket, the Auks were able to hold the ball inbounds until the clock hit zero.
Matt McCarthy led all scorers with 23, and Charlie Malloy '25 added eight points.