WILMINGTON — Southern Buckeye Conference American Division leader Western Brown opened the fourth quarter with a 12-1 run to gallop away with a 71-58 victory at Wilmington Thursday.
The Broncos (11-4, 6-0) led 49-46 heading into the final period. Sadie Foster sandwiched a pair of steals for layups around a three-pointer and then Olivia Fischer converted Amiyah Tull’s steal for a layup and added a three to go up 61-47 by the midpoint of the fourth quarter.
Katie Murphy’s three a couple minutes later pulled the Hurricane (6-8, 4-3) to within 64-54. That would be as close as the they would get the rest of the night.
Western Brown appeared to be on its way to running away with the game in the third period with an 8-0 run that broke a 41-41 tie. But Wilmington scrambled back into the game with the last five points of the third quarter.
“Even when we get down, they just kept fighting. It says a lot about these girls,” WHS head coach Zach Williams said. “I’m proud of the effort. They compete.
“We just got tired midway through that third quarter. I think we expended everything we had to cut that 8 down to 3. And then we came out (in the fourth quarter) and turned it over and gave up a layup and they hit a three to go back up to 8. I think that kind of took the wind out of our sails. I think we got tired. These girls have been logging a lot of minutes and they’re banged up.”
Both teams started out hot, combining for 40 first-quarter points. Wilmington controlled most of the first quarter, ending it with a 22-18 advantage. Murphy scored 12 of her team-high 19 points for Wilmington in the quarter.
The Broncos nipped at Wilmington’s heels throughout the second quarter but could not overcome their deficit. Wilmington led 30-28 at the intermission.
Western Brown scored the first seven points of the second half to take a 35-30 advantange. Wilmington scored the next six to go up 36-35. The Broncos eventually caught the Hurricane at 41 and never trailed again after the 8-0 run.
Chailyn Johns also reached double-figures for the Hurricane with 17 points, including five threes.
Three Broncos reached double-digits, led by Baylee Jones with 18. Foster and Fischer hit for 15 each.
SUMMARY
Jan 21, 2021
@Fred Summers Court
Western Brown 71 Wilmington 58
WB^18^10^21^22^^71
WI^22^8^16^12^^58
(71) WESTERN BROWN (fg-ft-tp) Fusdel 2-2-6, Enzweiler 1-0-3, Akers 1-0-3, Jones 6-2-18, Fischer 6-0-15, Foster 6-0-15, Abbinate 1-0-2, Tull 4-1-9, Armstrong 0-0-0. Total 27-5-71. 3-point goals: 12 (Jones 4, Fischer 3, Foster 3, Enzweiler, Akers). FTM-FTA 5-9, 56 percent.
(58) WILMINGTON (fg-ft-tp) Robinson 1-2-4, Noszka 0-0-0, Johns 6-0-17, Drake 2-5-9, Murphy 4-8-19, Schuster 0-0-0, Diels 2-2-6, Current 1-0-3. Total 16-17-58. 3-point goals: 9 (Johns 5, Murphy 3, Current). FTM-FTA 17-22, 77 percent.
