WILLIAMSBURG – The Wilmington girls basketball team completed an undefeated league slate and took home the overall Southern Buckeye Athletic & Academic Conference title with a 58-52 win at Williamsburg in a matchup Saturday night of American and National division champions.
Wilmington has won 13 straight. It hasn’t lost since Dec. 21 when it dropped a 61-56 overtime decision to Princeton, which is ranked 10th in the latest Associated Press Div. I Ohio girls basketball rankings. The win also ended Williamsburg’s 12-game winning streak.
“I’m very pleased with the ladies’ effort throughout season,” WHS head coach Zach Williams said. “I went out and scheduled some big teams because we have to be tested against those good teams. We haven’t lost since December. That’s something to be proud of. These girls work hard, and they’re rewarded with winning the league. I’m very happy for them.”
Mya Jackson poured in 36 points to bring her career total to 1,978. Jackson, the SBAAC’s leading scorer at nearly 25 points per game, is within striking distance of joining Jarron Cumberland and Donnie Fields as the only players in Clinton County hoops history to eclipse 2,000 points in their careers.
Jackson had 11 points in the opening period, all of them coming in Wilmington’s 11-2 run the final 2:39 of the quarter to turn a 5-4 deficit into a 15-7 advantage.
The Hurricane (18-4) would never trail again, but the Wildcats (18-4) kept scratching and clawing.
Williamsburg scored the next six points to pull within 15-13 early in the second quarter and hanged around until Chailyn Johns and Jasmine Jamiel treys and a Jackson deuce helped push the Cane’s lead back to 26-18.
The Wildcats responded with a pair threes to cut Wilmington’s lead to 26-24, but five quick points by Jackson in the final 23 seconds of the half sent the Hurricane to the intermission up 31-24.
With a three and a free throw to open the second half, Williamsburg made the score 31-28, but again Wilmington turned back the threat with another three, this time by Karlie Morgan.
Late in the third quarter, a pair of threes by Jackson and a deuce by Jenna Victor helped give Wilmington its largest lead of the night, 45-32.
“Mya played her butt off tonight. She stepped up when we needed her to. Jenna Victor hit a big shot and got some good rebounds. Chailyn Johns made some good plays today,” Williams said. “Everyone is engaged and involved.”
Williamsburg would get to within 54-50 with 2:22 left in the game and 56-52 with 45 seconds to go but could get no closer.
“I think this is a very good game for us to have to end the season. We knew Williamsburg would come out and play us hard and tough,”Williams said. “To be honest, we haven’t been tested lately. It’s good to be tested before head into the tournament where you know you’re going to test some tough teams and fight through some adversity.”
Three Wildcats reached double-figures. Paige Fisher led the way with 11. Madi Ogden and Emily Hart had 10 each. Wilmington held Jessica Chase, the league’s third-leading scorer entering Saturday’s game, to no field goals.
SUMMARY
February 9, 2019
@Williamsburg High School
Wilmington 58 Williamsburg 52
WIL 15.16.14.13…..58
WBG 07.17.12.16…..52
(58) WILMINGTON (fg-ft-tp) Jamiel 2-3-8, Jackson 14-3-36, McCord 1-0-2, Johns 2-0-5, Morgan 2-0-5, Self 0-0-0, Victor 1-0-2, Harris 0-0-0. Total 22-6-58. 3-point goals: 8 (Jackson 5, Jamiel, Johns, Morgan). FTM-FTA 6-10, 60 percent.
(52) WILLIAMSBURG (fg-ft-tp) J. Chase 0-5-5, Hart 4-0-10, McManus 3-0-6, Ogden 3-1-10, Fisher 5-0-11, Dauwe 2-0-7, Thomas 1-0-3, Ervin 0-0-0. Total 18-7-52. 3-point goals: 9 (Ogden 3, Dauwe 2, Hart 2, Fisher). FTM-FTA 7-14, 50 percent.
