WILMINGTON — After losing a 14-point second half lead, Wilmington drained 4 free throws in the waning seconds Monday and held off Chaminade-Julienne 48-45 in a non-league game at Fred Summers Court.
The win is the first of the season for the Lady Hurricane, now 1-2. Chaminade-Julienne is 1-3.
“It’s big for us in the situation we’re in, coming off 2 losses,” WHS coach Mark Short said. “To blow that lead, then fight back … this is big for their confidence. It just gives us some confidence to come in and work hard and try to get better. At one time we had 4 sophomores and a freshman on the floor, so I think we grew up tonight.”
Down 45-43 after leading by 14, Suzannah Johns made the first of 2 free throws with 30.3 seconds to play then missed the second, 45-44. Leah Frisco knocked the ball out of the hands of a CJ play and Katlyn Jamiel grabbed it. Jamiel was fouled and calmly drained 2 free throws to put WHS on top 46-45.
“Last year, we miss ‘em both or hit 1 of 2,” Short said.
As for Frisco dislodging the ball from one of the Lady Eagles, Short said, “That’s a huge play. Where do you put that in the stats? You can’t. If she doesn’t make that play … .”
After CJ avoided a turnover twice on the next possession, TJ Mills missed a shot and Frisco wrestled the rebound and was fouled. At the line, she swished both attempts and pushed the WHS lead to 48-45.
The Lady Eagles rushed up court and had a shot at a 3-pointer but it was off the mark and Faith Sanderson cradled the errant shot to give WHS its first win of the year.
Mya Jackson led Wilmington with 18 points. Frisco finished with 9.
Mills, who came into the game averaging 23 points, was held to 5 in the first half but exploded in the second half to finish with 17.
Wilmington grabbed a 9-5 lead but CJ started a run late in the first quarter and surged into the lead 14-9 early in the second.
Faith Sanderson drained the Lady ‘Cane’s only 3-pointer of the first half at the 5:55 mark to make it 14-12. Frisco had three offensive boards on one possession for WHS and finally converted on a stickback to keep it close, 16-14 in favor of CJ. Frisco then assisted on Suzannah Johns’ 2-pointer to tie things at 16-16.
The Lady Hurricane had several chances to score but numerous shots either rimmed in and out from the perimeter or fell off the cylinder on close-in shots.
In the third, Wilmington blew it open. Jackson was sizzling hot with 15 points and WHS forced 7 CJ turnovers. When Frisco scored on a stickback with 1:13 to play in the third, the Lady Hurricane lead was 41-27.
But CJ, one of the storied girls programs in the state, was not done.
“They were gonna make a run,” Short said.
And they did, to the tune of 15-2 to take a 45-43 lead with 1:53 to play in the game.
That’s when the Lady Hurricane bowed their individual and collective backs and held on for the win.
“The way we play gets us the lead but sometimes, as young as we are, we forget to slow down and we make some mistakes and turnovers,” said Short. “We have 2 more physical teams with Greenfield and Trace coming up. We really just needed a win. I don’t think we’ve played well, so just playing well would have been a small victory but getting the win was icing on the cake.”
SUMMARY
Nov 30, 2015
@Fred Summers Court
Chaminade-Julienne Wilmington
WL 09.10.22.07…..48
CJ 13.09.08.15…..41
(48) WILMINGTON (fg-3fg-ft-tp) Jackson 7-1-3-18 S. Johns 2-0-1-5 Sanderson 3-1-0-7 Stewart 2-0-0-4 Frisco 3-0-3-9 J. Johns 0-0-0-0 Quallen 1-0-0-2 Jamiel 0-0-3-3 Edingfield 0-0-0-0. TOTALS 18-2-10-48
(45) CHAMINADE-JULIENNE (fg-3fg-ft-tp) Mills 4-2-7-17 Peltier 2-0-3-7 Jones 3-2-0-8 Weckesser 2-1-2-7 Burrows 1-1-3-6 Jones 0-0-0-0. TOTALS 12-6-15-45.
FIELD GOALS: W 18-51 (Jackson 7-14) CJ 12-54
3 PT FIELD GOALS: W 2-10 CJ 6-16
FREE THROWS: W 10-13 CJ 15-24
REBOUNDS: W-41 (Sanderson 11 Jackson 10 Frisco 8) CJ-38 (Peltier 10 Burrows 10)
ASSISTS: W-9 (Sanderson 4 Frisco 2) CJ-8 (Burrows 4)
STEALS: W-11 (Sanderson 4 Jackson 3 Frisco 3) CJ-6
BLOCKED SHOTS: W-3 CJ-1
TURNOVERS: W-27 CJ-21
