Greencastle-Antrim edges Allegany

 

By Scott McKeever on 1/31/20

 

 

 

GREENCASTLE – Greencastle-Antrim defeated Allegany 43-40 in a non-league girls’ basketball game Friday night.

 

G-A celebrated senior night for McKenna Rakaczewski and Ashley Noblit with an exciting back-and-forth contest.

 

After a buzzer-beating 3 to end the second quarter by Sayge Wilhide gave Greencastle a five-point lead at halftime, the Blue Devils struggled from the field and fell behind in the third quarter.

 

The action picked up in the fourth, sparked by back-to-back 3′s from Rakaczewski reclaiming the lead for G-A at 26-25. From there, Allegany scored 10 straight points (the last eight from the free-throw line) from Kelsey O’Neal, who finished with a game-high 22. G-A answered with a 3 from Wilhide and a bucket from Mia Libby to keep it close. Allegany took the lead at 35-34 on O’Neal’s last two free throws with 1:51 to go, setting the stage for a frantic finish.

 

Wilhide hit a 3-pointer and Olivia WInslow made one of two from the line to put G-A up 38-35. Allegany, however, would not go away. O’Neal made a game-tying 3 with around 40 seconds left but that was immediately answered by Wilhide’s fifth 3-pointer of the night to put G-A ahead for good at 41-38.

 

A layup by Allegany with 14 ticks left cut the lead to one, but a pair of clutch free throws by Wilhide put the Blue Devils back up by the final margin of 43-40.

 

A desperation heave by Allegany at the end went wide to seal the win.

 

Wilhide netted a team-high 17 points for G-A followed by 14 from Rakaczewski. Jenna Powell grabbed nine rebounds in the win.

 

The Blue Devils (12-7) return to action Tuesday at James Buchanan.