Red Raider Girls Beat Seneca to Put Two Ocean City Basketball Teams in Semifinals

Reilly Larkin wants the basketball in her hands, especially when her team needs points.

The Ocean City High School guard hit key several key shots Thursday night as the No. 4 Red Raiders defeated No. 5 Seneca, 51-44, to advance to the NJSIAA Group III South sectionals.

The win also earned the Red Raiders another game in their Dixie Howell Gymnasium, as they get to host No. 9 Woodrow Wilson on Saturday with a trip to the sectional finals at stake.

Woodrow Wilson upset top-seeded Delsea, 47-33, on Thursday night.

"I kind of like to take shots," said Larkin, who scored a team-high 14 points.

Those shots came when the Red Raiders needed them most against Seneca.

The Golden Eagles focused most of their attention on Red Raiders center Julia Duggan, leaving most of the offensive responsibility to her teammates.

Larkin scored seven points in the opening half to help give the Red Raiders a 24-17 lead at halftime. Seneca cut the lead to six with 3:16 left in the third quarter, but Larkin answered with a 3-pointer 18 seconds later to put Ocean City up 29-20.

Larkin opened the fourth quarter with a basket to increase the Red Raiders' lead to 11.

"We have been doing a lot of shooting drills in practice. We knew we had to come out and hit some shots because their big girls were going to be doubling down low," Larkin said. "We kept doing shooting drills, and tonight they were falling."

"Reilly has guts," Ocean City coach Paul Baruffi said. "Sometimes I have to rein her in, but she has the guts to do it, and you have to go with it."

Seneca would get as close as five, with 4:25 left in the game, but Duggan scored five straight points from the foul line, and Katie Johnson converted two from the charity stripe to put Ocean city ahead 44-33 with 2:41 left in the game.

Although harassed and often double-teamed Duggan still scored nine points, and pulled down 14 rebounds.

Emily Gillian scored 10 points, and Emily Duggan added eight in the win.

"Julia is great player and basically holds our team together," Emily Duggan said. "She is our big girl and we look to her for a lot. I feel like everyone helping out, it takes pressure off her and gives confidence to us."

"That's why we have been better the last four or five games because more people are scoring." Baruffi said. "Her sister is scoring and the guards are contributing more. You have to be a well-rounded team."