WAYNE, W.Va. — A transition jumper by Kierstin Stroud with fifteen seconds to play and a defensive stop lifted Wayne to a 63-59 win over Nitro in a compelling Cardinal Conference matchup.
While the game tied at 59, Stroud sprinted down the court and connected on a jumper from the elbow, giving the Pioneers a 61-59 lead. With five seconds left, Nitro’s Baylee Goins, who led all scorers with 25 points, could not connect on a corner 3-pointer which would have given the Wildcats the lead. Wayne grabbed the rebound and made a pair of free throws with under a second remaining to secure the win.
“We did show a lot of composure,” said Wayne head coach Wade Williamson. “We came off a really bad loss the other day where we didn’t show a whole lot of composure. We’ve grown a little bit and have made plays in situations where we didn’t make them in before.”
The first half featured eleven lead changes and neither team led by more than five points. Nitro led 27-26 at halftime. The Pioneers opened the second half on a 12-2 run, giving them their biggest lead of the game at 38-29.
“We were able to hold them to one shot and then we were able to get out and run ourselves,” Williamson said. “We got some transition buckets to start the third quarter.”
The Wildcats however closed the third quarter on a 7-1 run, cutting the deficit to 39-36 at the end of the frame.
Neither team led by more than four points in the fourth quarter. Goins’ 3-pointer with 45 seconds left gave the Wildcats a 59-57 lead. A pair of Wayne free throws evened the score at 59, setting the stage for Stroud’s heroics.
Sara Hooks led Wayne (12-2) with 16 points. Alana Eves added 15 and Jasmine Tabor chipped in with 14.
Goins (10-5) led the Wildcats with 25 points and Brooklyn Bowen added 14.
This win likely gives the Pioneers an inside track on a top two seed in their sectional tournament.
“It is big for us to maybe get a couple of home playoff games. We still have a lot of work to do. There’s still a whole month of games left.”