GUTHRIE CENTER — Woodward-Granger spoiled Senior Night at AC/GC with a pair of wins in WCAC basketball Tuesday.
The Hawk girls finished their regular season 17-4 overall and 11-3 in league play with a 49-40 victory while the W-G boys improved to 18-2 and 14-2 by posting a 69-61 win. The losses dropped the AC/GC girls to 10-10 and 8-7 while the Charger boys fell to 9-12 and 5-11.
The W-G girls have their most wins since the 19-5 2013 team that followed an 18-7 2012 squad. The Hawks opened a 13-4 lead after one period Tuesday and were in front, 24-15, at the intermission.
AC/GC battled back to come within 35-31 entering the fourth quarter, but a 14-9 final eight minutes favoring W-G enabled the Hawks to post the win.
Emma Anderson led the victors with 16 points. Finley Fitzgerald score nine points and Natalie Helbling eight, with six points apiece from Mae Anderson and Darby Nixon and four from Ava Petersen closing the W-G scoring list. Emma Anderson, Fitzgerald and Nixon each hit a single 3-pointer.
Alaina Bunde paced the home team with 15 points. EmmaKay McClain had eight points, Kylie Young five, Kennedy Young four, Jorja Hoover and Sophie Dorsey three points apiece and Taylor Lemke two points.
The W-G boys have feasted all season on quick starts, but on Tuesday it was a powerful ending that lifted the team to win number 18.
The Hawks led, 16-14, after one frame, but a motivated Charger squad grabbed a 32-29 advantage at the half. Their edge improved to five points, at 44-39, at the start of the fourth quarter.
An 8-2 run pushed W-G in front, 47-46, two minutes into the period. Another four minutes of play offered no change, with the Hawks holding a 60-58 edge. W-G then put the game away by scoring nine of the last 12 points in the contest to steal the victory.
Bryce Achenbach had 23 points and Keith Braunschweig 18 for W-G, with Pacey Moats adding 10 points. Nick Buch and Reese Jamison provided six points apiece, with Alex Bice scoring four points and Kaya Bowlsby two.
Braunschweig connected on four 3-pointers and Jamison one.
Nineteen points from Bryce Littler led the Chargers. Miles Kading had four treys in scoring 12 points for the hosts, with Lucas Marsh adding 12. Quynton Younker tallied eight points, with Eli Kading and Ben Marsh recording five points apiece.
The W-G girls have a first round bye in the Class 2A Region 7 bracket and will host the Feb. 15 Ogden vs. Madrid winner Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. The Feb. 18 victor will meet the winner of Van Meter vs. Interstate-35, in Van Meter, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. with the Region 7 Final to be played in Marshalltown at 7 p.m. Feb. 26.
The W-G boys play a junior varsity/varsity set against visiting Collins-Maxwell Thursday. They will await the Pleasantville vs. Interstate-35 2A District 12 Feb. 17 game and will face the victor, at Van Meter, at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 20. Van Meter will play the Colfax-Mingo vs. Woodward Academy winner at 8 p.m.
The Feb. 20 winners will meet, at DC-G, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. with the Substate 6 Final Feb. 29 at 7 p.m. at a site yet to be determined.
