Second-half surge lifts Waynesburg to 33-29 win
WAYNESBURG — The Waynesburg Central girls basketball squad used a second half surge on offense to get by Geibel Catholic, 33-29, in non-section action Saturday afternoon.
The Lady Raiders (3-11) had a 12-4 scoring edge in the third quarter, and was able to hold on and make enough of their foul shots to secure the win in the final eight minutes.
Waynesburg avenges an earlier loss to the Lady Gators, a 49-45 setback in the Geibel Christmas Tournament on Dec. 28.
“We made some halftime adjustments and I think we had a better flow on offense in the second half,” Waynesburg coach Dave Serra said. “We were getting open perimeter shots in the first half, but we just couldn’t hit them. We got our bigs involved and started to move the ball from the high post. That opened up some things and we were able to use our height.”
Shay Echegaray and Rachel Elsenheimer led the Lady Raiders with nine points apiece.
The Lady Gators (6-6) were paced by Gillian Yourish (11) and Gabby Yourish (10).
“It was a game of runs,” Geibel coach Patrick Blackstone said. “When one team is putting the ball in the hoop and you’re missing your shots, it can sometimes be discouraging. Their height was definitely a factor. We just forced too many things. It came down to the end, and we didn’t make enough of our shots.”
With the game deadlocked at 6-6 at the end of the first quarter, Waynesburg scored the opening six points of the second quarter by way of baskets from Echegaray, Elsenheimer and Jordan Siebert.
Geibel responded with a 7-0 run to end the frame and carried a 13-12 lead into halftime. The quarter-ending run was capped off by a 3-pointer from Sydney Palya.
The Lady Gators stretched its lead to 17-12 in the third quarter after an old-fashioned three-point play by Gabby Yourish and a free throw by Jessica Wolfe.
The Lady Raiders found their offensive stride moments later, and grabbed a 12-0 run the rest of the quarter. Elsenheimer connected on a pair of 3-pointers in the run.
Waynesburg began the fourth period with a 7-5 spurt and held a 31-22 lead with 2:28 left.
Geibel countered with five straight points, but Waynesburg’s Emma Mankey made two foul shots with 46 seconds remaining in regulation to give the home team cushion.
Palya scored a late bucket for the Lady Gators, but that was all the scoring as the Lady Raider hung on for the non-section triumph.
“I liked our work on the boards,” Serra said. “On defense, we had to slow down their two guards. The last time we played them, (Gillian Yourish) had 27 points. I thought we did a good job of putting a hand up and guarding the arc. I like our defensive effort over the last couple of weeks.”
Geibel will be back in Section 2-A action on Monday at Mapletown, while Waynesburg is idle until a non-section match-up with the Lady Maples on Tuesday.
“I thought we were really stout on defense,” Blackstone said. “If we play that type of defense the rest of the season, we are going to be good. We fronted their bigs and just packed it in on the inside. We put some pressure on their guards and took away the interior.”