LowcoSports.com
Kiara Wilson drained a go-ahead free throw and Genesis Wilson sealed it with a 3-pointer in overtime to propel Battery Creek girls basketball to a 36-32 road victory over rival Whale Branch on Saturday in Seabrook.
Kiara Wilson posted a team-high 13 points to go along with four assists, three boards and two steals, and Ashante Shaw notched 11 points and was one rebound away from a double-double for the Dolphins, who rallied from a nine-point second-half deficit to force overtime.
Neither team found success on offense early, as the score was 6-2 after one quarter. Shaw scored the lone basket for Creek in the first period after Sophia Felix found her down low for the bucket.
Both offenses continued to struggle until the final minute of the half, as the Warriors found the basket by driving to the hole and picking up a foul to extend the lead. Felix cut into the lead by draining a triple from the wing and then finding Shaw again in the paint to send the Dolphins to the locker room down by five.
The third quarter played out much like the first two as the offenses for both squads struggled from the field. All of Creek’s points during the frame were made from the charity stripe.
But everything changed when Whale Branch star Kynew Barnwell fouled out in the waning minutes of the game after being limited to seven points, leaving the Warriors without a natural ball-handler. Kiana Smashum (11 points) and Layla Love (10 points) stepped up to keep the Warriors close, but Creek took advantage by stepping up its defense and attacking on offense.
Battery Creek forced its way into the bonus early in the fourth stanza and trimmed the lead to three with four minutes to play. WB pushed the lead to five but Felix drained a 10-footer to cut it back to three with 2:09 to play and Kiara Wilson knocked down both ends from the free throw line to make it 27-25.
Carolina Alvarez stripped the ball away from the Warriors and dished it to Shaw, who found the basket to make it 28-27 with only 25 seconds left. Felix stole an inbound pass and was fouled, converting one of two from the line to tie it up. Creek had its chance as Kiara Wilson drove to the hole, but a no-call and a missed basket sent the game to overtime.
Overtime opened with Kiara Wilson taking it right to the basket for Creek’s first lead of the night, and she then went 1-for-2 from the line after being fouled. Genesis Wilson came up with a key steal and broke an ice cold shooting streak by knocking down a three from the wing to put Creek up 36-32 with only 43 seconds remaining. Whale Branch turned the ball over in the final seconds and Battery Creek stormed the court in celebration as the clock read zero.
Battery Creek (4-7) has won three straight going into a three-week break and returns to the court Jan. 7 with a region road trip to Academic Magnet. Whale Branch (4-4) faces Broome in the Trojan Classic in Rock Hill on Dec. 29.
