GOSHEN — With a season-high 63 points, Wilmington halted Goshen’s five-game winning streak and handed the Warriors their first Southern Buckeye Conference American Division home loss Wednesday, 63-52.
The victory also avenges a loss to Goshen a month ago.
“Leading up to this game, we knew we’d be short,” WHS head coach Zach Williams said about his lineup depleted by illness and injury. “Our focus was to do what we can do to the best of our abilities. (Madison Schuster and Jada Current) contributed in their first varsity game. Maura (Drake) has come so far this year. She finished shots and made free throws. Katie (Murphy) stepped up. Chailyn (Johns) played solid defense. KeAsia did a good job on the boards.
“It was a big win. We’re happy to come out on top.”
The Hurricane (8-8, 6-3) never trailed after the three-minute mark of the opening quarter.
Murphy and Johns buried threes to open the second quarter and give Wilmington an 18-8 advantage, its largest of the first half.
Goshen (7-4, 5-2) slowly chipped away at Wilmington’s lead, eventually cutting it to 38-37 with 1:34 to go in the third quarter.
Wilmington scored six of the next seven points to go up 44-38 at the 7:04 mark of the fourth quarter. Goshen briefly stopped Wilmington’s momentum with a three 20 seconds later.
But the Hurricane perhaps crushed Goshen 20 seconds after that with a sequence involving a hoop and harm for Johns, for which she missed the and-1 opportunity, but Drake was there to scoop up and put back the rebound. Those four points in mere seconds pushed Wilmington’s lead to 48-41.
Drake led the Hurricane with 29 points and 11 rebounds.
Goshen would hit a three to make it 50-46 with 3:49 left in the game, but the Warriors would get no closer than that the rest of the way.
Wilmington scored the next seven to build a 57-46 cushion with 2:18 to go in the contest.
Goshen would manage just two field goals and a free throw after that.
Pending any late additions to the schedule, Wilmington will wrap up its regular-season Saturday at home against Blanchester.
SUMMARY
Feb 3, 2021
@Goshen High School
Wilmington 63 Goshen 52
W^12^15^13^23^^63
G^8^13^16^15^^52
(63) WILMINGTON (fg-ft-tp) Schuster 2-0-5, Robinson 2-4-8, Johns 2-0-5, Drake 10-9-29, Murphy 3-4-12, Current 2-0-4. Total 21-17-63. 3-point goals: 4 (Murphy 2, Schuster, Johns). FTM-FTA 17-28, 61 percent.
(52) GOSHEN (fg-ft-tp) Strunk 2-0-5, Hampton 3-4-11, Hopper 4-1-11, Mathewson 0-0-0, Geary 0-0-0, Stouder 1-0-3, Myers 2-2-8, Maco 1-1-3, Noland 2-0-5, Thomas 0-0-0, Smiley 3-0-6. Total 18-8-52. 3-point goals: 8 (Hopper 2, Myers 2, Strunk, Stouder, Hampton, Noland). FTM-FTA 8-23, 35 percent.
