WAYNESBORO – The Waynesboro Maidens varsity basketball team led the Greencastle-Antrim Blue Devils for most of their Mid-Penn Colonial Division game on Friday, Feb. 2.
But Greencastle took the lead when it mattered most, leaving Waynesboro reeling from its third straight loss, 52-50, and slipping further behind in the PIAA District 3-6A power ratings. Senior Haley Noblit maneuvered her way swiftly through the lane and threw up a layup that proved to be the winning points with 3.5 seconds remaining in the game.
The Maidens, who led 20-8 in the second quarter but couldn’t put the Blue Devils away, fell behind 44-40 in the early moments of the fourth quarter. Addie Shaull made a much-needed bucket to cut the deficit to 44-42, and Nikki Davis made two foul shots to tie the game with 6:02 to play.
After a missed shot at the other end, Davis made a pass to Breanna McIlquham behind the three-point arc. McIlquham hit nothing but net to give the Maidens a 47-44 advantage.
Greencastle-Antrim continued to struggle at the offensive end and missed two more scoring opportunities. Waynesboro capitalized on the second one as Davis made a shot to up the Waynesboro lead to 49-44 with 4:27 remaining.
There was still a lot of time left, and the Blue Devils chipped away.
A three-point field goal was a good start. Davis made a free throw to make it 50-47, but that was the last point the Maidens would score.
Shaina Overcash made one of two free throws, and Evangeline Martin made a layup to tie the game at 50 with just over a minute to play.
Waynesboro failed to connect on their next possession. Greencastle-Antrim held the proverbial serve and controlled the ball with perimeter passing until coach Mike Rhine called the first of two timeouts. The first came with 36.2 seconds. The second time-out came with 12.6 seconds left in the game.
There was little doubt who the ball would go to: Noblit. But the Maidens were unable to counter the Blue Devils once Noblit got the touch and then made her way toward the basket.
Ainsley Swindell scored the first two points of the game to give the Blue Devils a 2-0 lead. G-A would not lead again until the 1:54 mark of the third quarter when Meadow Gambacurta made a three-point field goal to give the Blue Devils a 33-32 lead.
Shaull scored 10 points in the first quarter to pace Waynesboro to a 15-7 lead. Two of her shots were three-pointers.
Davis hit a three-pointer to add to the Maidens lead (18-7), and McIlquham made a layup to increase the lead to 20-8.
Greencastle scored the next five points, and Shaull responded with a three-pointer to make it 23-13.
The Blue Devils outscored the Maidens 6-2 the rest of the second quarter and then scored the first five points of the third period to tie the game at 26.
Mcilquham answered with a three-pointer, while Shaull made one of two free throws to give Waynesboro a 30-26 advantage.
It was back and forth from there. In the end, the Blue Devils celebrated the win.
Waynesboro (11-9) dropped to 18th in the current power rankings. The top 12 teams qualify for the District 3 playoffs.
Waynesboro completed league play. The Maidens have two games left in the regular season. On Tuesday, Waynesboro is on the road to face Carlisle. Waynesboro hosts Chambersburg Thursday, and it will be Senior Night.
