Carroll surges past New Castle into semifinals

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By Dennis C. Way

In the first quarter of Friday night’s PIAA Class AAA quarterfinal playoff basketball game, New Castle, the fourth-place team out of District Seven, more than held its own against Archbishop Carroll.

But then, the second quarter started.

The Patriots celebrated with a 10-point run, then skipped away with a 77-48 victory before a boisterous and partial New Castle crowd.

Carroll’s Derrick Jones had 22 points, 16 rebounds and eight blocks as Carroll hinted that it could be ready for a long postseason run.

The early going was even, with the Red Hurricanes grabbing a 9-8, first-quarter lead.

But the Patriots answered with a Ryan Daly trey, a David Beatty dunk and a Derrick Jones tap-in to go up, 15-9, and New Castle would never see the lead again.

The Hurricanes closed to within, 15-12, by quarter’s end.

But then came the 10-0 run to open the second.

Ryan Daly got it going with a 3-ball, Colin Daly, just off the bench, added another.

Beatty scored off an inbounds play and Josh Sharkey knocked down two free throws off his own steal.

The Carroll lead was 25-12, and the Hurricanes had no answers.

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