By Andy Walter

BRIDGEVILLE — When it needed a first-half spark, the Woodbridge High girls’ basketball team turned to its standout freshman.

And when the Blue Raiders were looking to close out the victory, they knew they could keep the ball in the hands of their steady senior.

The formula worked out well as No. 10 Woodbridge held off determined No. 18 Delmarva Christian, 70-64, in the DIAA girls’ quarterfinals on Monday night.

The hard-earned win sends the Blue Raiders (13-3) to the state semifinals for the first time in the program’s history. There, Woodbridge will get to face third-seeded Sanford on the Warriors’ home court on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

The Raiders will be just the second Woodbridge girls’ team in any sport to play in a state semifinal. They join the 1976 Raiders’ softball squad in accomplishing that feat.

Top-seeded St. Elizabeth hosts No. 4 Caravel in the other semifinal with the two winners playing for the title on Friday at the 76ers’ Fieldhouse in Wilmington.

“They’re aware of it,” Woodbridge coach Isaiah Robinson said about his players making history. “But our focus is not just on today. We want to try to go all the way.”

“It’s definitely an honor,” said senior forward Cha’Kyra Johnson. “But we just need to keep our heads in the game and stay disciplined throughout the process and it will work out in the end. We’ve got to take every game one at a time.”

The Cinderella Royals made Woodbridge earn its trip to Sanford on Wednesday.

The Raiders needed a big performance from freshman guard Reghan Robinson, who netted a game-high 23 points after swishing six three-pointers. Senior Janeira Scott then sank eight of eight free throws in the final 1:18 to seal the victory.

For the game, Scott was 11-of-11 from the foul line and finished with 21 points.

Woodbridge also got 19 points from Johnson in the victory.

Scott said they knew Robinson had the ability to hit shots like that.

“She’s an awesome shooter, that’s all it is,” said Scott. “I feel as though she’s one of the best shooters in the state.”

“It’s what I do, I knock them down,” said Robinson. “We practice, we prepare, so there’s no reason to be nervous for a game. We know what we’ve got to do, we’ve just got to execute.”

“She gave us a lift when we needed it,” said Isaiah Robinson, Reghan’s father. “She’s always been like that. She’s never been the type to feel anxious. She’s always been calm and collected.”

Delmarva Christian (12-5) led by as much as 17-10 in the first quarter. The Raiders got a jumper from Scott at the end of the second quarter to take a 30-29 lead into halftime.

Twice in the third quarter, the Royals grabbed a one-point advantage. They were still tied, 37-37, midway through the quarter.

But Johnson converted a three-point play with 4:12 remaining in the third quarter to put Woodbridge ahead, 40-37. Delmarva Christian never pulled even again.

While the Blue Raiders eventually went up by nine a couple times, the Royals also battled back within three twice.

In the end, however, Scott’s foul shooting in the final minute shut the door on any Delmarva Christian comeback.

“I knew that we needed them,” said Scott. “So I needed to breathe and take my time with them. It’s something we practice all the time.”

The Royals’ two tournament wins last week were the first in program history. That included an upset of No. 2 Conrad on Friday.

Sierra Troyer netted a team-high 20 points for Delmarva Christian with standout senior Grace Fetterman adding 15 and another senior, Kandice Schlabach, scoring 11.

Trying to beat five-time state champion Sanford won’t be easy. But Woodbridge’s players know they haven’t gotten this far by backing down from a challenge.

“It starts at practice tomorrow,” said Johnson. “We need to go in there focused, get done what we need to get done and work on the mistakes we had today.”

“We’re here,” said Isaiah Robinson. “We’ve just got to get out there and play ball. Clearly, Sanford’s a great program. But, if that’s who’s next in front of us, we’ve got to get ready to play them.”