Homecoming Night Heroics
Lady Wildcats earn wild, last-second win over Wellston; boys complete sweep
CASHION SENIOR Max Brown, left, was crowned the basketball homecoming king last Friday night while junior Laynee Woody was announced as the queen during a coronation ceremony before the teams hosted Wellston. [Photo by Brad Stone/www.bestone.shootproof.co
In a span of 30 seconds, Cashion inexplicably lost a lead, then almost as improbably got the win.
The Lady Wildcats thrilled a homecoming crowd on Friday with a 34-32 win against Wellston to snap a three-game losing skid.
Reese Williams scored the game winner on a left-handed layup with 3.5 seconds left in the game.
It capped a frantic final few seconds that saw a pair of lead changes.
One of them came with just under 30 seconds to play when Wellston’s Kaylee Danker scored in the paint.
A whistle signified a foul after the shot, meaning Danker was the beneficiary of a one-and-one.
She made both to complete the four-point possession and turn a 29-28 Cashion lead into a 32-29 advantage for the visitors.
The home team tried to answer on the other end and Addison McCracken was fouled, sending her to the line for a pair of foul shots.
The sophomore missed both, but the second one was chased down by Williams in the corner.
She was fouled with 16.5 seconds remaining.
The junior missed her first of two shots, but made the second.
After a timeout, Cashion set up its press and it resulted in McCracken getting a steal.
She fed Megan Shafer underneath and she bumped it off the glass to tie the game up at 32-all with just over 10 seconds to play.
Wellston was able to get the ball inbounds, but the Lady Wildcats quickly trapped and forced another turnover.
That was a steal by Williams just before she put in the winning shot.
Williams was fouled. Though she missed the ensuing free throw, Wellston couldn’t get off a desperation shot before the final buzzer sounded.
The loss dropped Wellston to 10-6 and snapped a three-game win streak.
The Lady Tigers are coached by Chad Hutchison, a former Lomega girls coach.
His team was led by Danker’s 13 points.
Shafer and Lauren Jenkins scored 13 apiece for Cashion, which is now 5-7 overall.
Williams finished the game with six points.
Cashion led 16-10 at halftime, but Wellston cut its deficit to one with a 10-5 run in the third quarter.
The Cashion boys were also able to snap a threegame losing streak.
They just didn’t have the same dramatics as the Lady Wildcats.
Cashion defeated Wellston 67-51 Friday night to complete a homecoming sweep.
Three Wildcats scored in double figures as they improved to 7-5 on the season.
They were led by Jackson Vandruff’s 21 points.
The senior dominated the paint as he shot 10 of 14 from the field.
Kamden Miller added 18 points and Chance Acord scored 12 to go with a teamhigh seven rebounds for Cashion.
Both made a pair of 3-pointers, as did Drake Woody.
Woody scored eight. After earning an eightpoint lead, Cashion saw it shrink to 29-25 at halftime.
The Wildcats extended it back to nine points in the third quarter, then outscored Wellston 24-17 in the fourth.