By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
puvlisher@thevillagereporter.com
DELTA (February 8, 2024) – ESPN 30 for 30 had it down when they did a doc about Jim Valvano’s North Carolina State NCAA title team. Survive and advance.
Wauseon did just that against Delta, weathering a rash of missed free throws, along with a missed Panther layup and triple try in the last 15 seconds to take a 40-36 win.
“I thought we executed down the stretch,” said Wauseon coach Shelly Borton. “We didn’t play four quarters together tonight but at the end of the day a win is a win.”
Poor shooting hampered both teams in a low scoring first half, as both shot an identical 5/23 from the field.
Wauseon took an 11-7 first quarter lead as Sophia Rupp banked in a right wing three-pointer and scored off a Panther turnover.
Delta scored just five points in the second, but the Indians went 0/9 from the floor and a Katie Friess’ steal and score with 1:33 left in the half brought the Panthers even at 12-12 at half.
Johanna Tester’s bucket 32 seconds into the third began a run of scores that put the Indians on top only to have the Panthers even the score for the next three possessions.
After Ella Demaline’s basket from Friess knotted the game at 17-17 with 6:09 left in the third, Tester scored again in transition to begin an Indian three bucket run.
Mackenzie Stasa and Ella Tule each got putback hoops to give Wauseon a 23-17 lead at the 2:38 mark.
Ashlyn Lamb started a burst of a trio of Delta hoops, the last two from Grace Munger on a drive and basket off a loose ball underneath to bring Delta back even at 25-25 until Stasa split a pair from the line with two seconds to go that gave Wauseon a one-point lead heading into the fourth.
Keagyn Gillen’s bucket off her own miss 14 ticks into the fourth gave Delta their first lead of the game and began a back-and-forth lead change in which Stasa put Wauseon in front by three with a triple from the corner with 5:16 to go.
Delta fought back to regain an advantage when Olivia Smith and Munger canned consecutive triples then Friess found Gillen slashing to the rim for a 36-33 Panther margin with 2:03 on the clock. Delta never scored again.
Tester’s basket got the Indians within one, then Rupp drilled a pair from the line with 1:19 left for a 37-36 Wauseon lead.
After a Panther turnover, the Indians had a chance to extend but both Aizlynn Coronado and Stasa missed a pair from the stripe.
Delta (11-9, 2-4 NWOAL) forced a Wauseon (11-9, 3-2 NWOAL) miscue late but Friess, under heavy heat, missed her try racing to the rim and after Marin Leatherman was fouled on the rebound, the sophomore forward knocked home 2-2 for a three-point Indian lead.
Delta forced up a three-point try in the closing seconds but missed and Tester went 1-2 from the stripe to secure the victory.
“One of the last timeouts I took I said, ‘it’s not going to happen on the offensive end, we have to win this game on the defensive end’,” Borton explained of the late stand.
“We have to go get a stop and we have to go get a rebound. They had the layup that rolled out and Marin Leatherman got a really good rebound for us and hit two free throws.”
Neither team had a double figure scorer. Delta was 15/53 from the floor while the Indians went 15/46.
WAUSEON (40) – Stasa 9; Tester 9; Leatherman 6; Pelok 0; Coronado 5; Rupp 9; Tule 2; Totals: 13-2-8 – 40
DELTA (36) – Demaline 3; Munger 9; Todd 0; Friess 4; Sprow 6; Lamb 2; Gillen 7; Smith; Totals: 12-3-3 – 36
WAUSEON 11 1 14 14 – 40
DELTA 7 5 13 11 – 36
JUNIOR VARSITY: Wauseon 38, Delta 37