By TIM TAYLORValley Sports Report
WAVERLY — Waverly picked up a much needed win here Thursday, defeating Owego, 54-36, in STAC Central Division girls basketball action.
The Wolverines recently snapped a four-game losing streak, but it took a second half surge to help them win their second straight game.
Waverly coach Bob Kelly credited his team’s surge to having more energy.
“Getting to the 50-50 balls that we weren't getting in the first half,” he said, was one of the keys to the second half effort. “Overall I think it was better energy.
“You know how we play defensively and when the ball's not going in the basket, it just gets deflating. When you see a couple shots go in, your energy picks up and your rotations get better, you get to the 50-50 balls, you start getting rebounds. It was good to see the ball go in and then our energy was pretty solid.”
“I’d like to look at the film, but talking with coaches and players, we still got some really good looks on the offensive end,” said Owego coach Luke McEvoy. “We didn't finish, and then they turned around, knocked down those shots. A couple of six-point runs ballooned that lead up just enough. I think all we made was foul shots there in the fourth quarter. Make some more of those shots, and we're right there at the end of the game.”
Owego’s shooting was just a bit out of sync, which was key when Waverly’s offense started clicking.
“First half, we talked about it at halftime,” coach McEvoy said. “I thought we got some really good looks that normally we would make, whether they're layups, three-pointers, mid-range, and then again, I think fourth quarter especially we went really cold from the field.
“The layups were in and out, we didn't get the shots, but I can give them credit as well too. They're very active defensively and that could also be wearing us down for 32 minutes.”
The River Hawks hung with their hosts in the first half, trailing just 25-23 at the break, but the third quarter would be a different story.
The Wolverines went on a 12-2 run which included 3-pointers from Ryleigh Judson and Kaitlyn Sutton as the duo accounted for five points each. Kaylin Twedt started the surge with a basket in the first minute of the period.
Waverly would lead, 37-25, before Ashlyn Dalton and Jenna McEvoy notched back-to-back buckets to make it a 37-29 contest. The teams would exchange baskets before the end of the quarter and the score would be 39-31 heading into the final frame.
Eva Crawford sank a free throw to start the fourth quarter scoring, but the Wolverines responded with a scoring display by Brilynn Belles. The senior scored all 10 of her points during an 11-2 run in a four-minute span.
Belles knocked down consecutive baskets, then followed a Twedt bucket with a field goal and a 3-pointer to lock up the victory, giving Waverly a 50-34 advantage with 1:37 remaining in the game.
“We need her to do this and, hopefully, she continues with it,” he said. “She has some good shots, and we know she can shoot it … she definitely gave us a jump. She gave us a spurt for sure.”
The Wolverines started out strong as Judson drained a 3-pointer just 16 seconds after tip-off. Following a basket by Owego’s Marielle Searles, Judson added a basket and Sutton tacked on a free throw for a 6-2 lead.
The River Hawks regrouped to tie the game at seven on a Searles 3-pointer and a Keely Wicklund basket before Judson and Hannah Carpenter made consecutive field goals for an 11-7 lead.
Owego rallied back as Ashlyn Dalton took control with a steal and layup followed by a 3-pointer to give the visitors a 12-11 edge heading into the final minute of the quarter.
Judson responded with a trey of her own to put Waverly up, 14-11 heading into the second period.
Dalton tied the score with a bucket to open the quarter, but Twedt hit a free throw and a basket, and Sutton sank two free throws to make it a 19-14 game.
Jenna McEvoy knocked down a three-ball and Wicklund added a basket, offsetting two more free throws by Twedt, to narrow the gap to 21-19.
Lauryn Welles and Twedt traded baskets with Jenna McEvoy and Searles to end the half with the Wolverines clinging to a 25-23 lead.
Two buckets from Jenna McEvoy, another by Dalton and a pair of Searles free throws helped Owego cut its 14-point deficit in the third quarter down to eight heading into the fourth quarter.
Judson led all scorers with 19 points, knocking down three treys in the process. Twedt added 13 points and Sutton had nine while going 4-for-4 at the charity stripe. Carpenter scored two points and Makenzie Olmsted tacked on one.
Jenna McEvoy paced Owego with 11 points while Dalton and Searles accounted for nine apiece. Wicklund chipped in with four points and Crawford had three.
Waverly improved to 4-2 in the division (8-6 overall), just a half-game behind division-leading Chenango Forks which is 4-1 (7-5 overall). Owego slipped to 2-4 in the division and 7-5 overall.
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IN PHOTO 1: Kaitlyn Sutton. IN TOP PHOTO: Ryleigh Judson (12). … PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.
