WOODWARD — One-win Woodward-Granger outscored rival Madrid, 33-20, over the second and third quarters of their WCC meeting Friday. Unfortunately for the hosts, the 16-2 hole they dug for themselves in the first eight minutes proved their undoing, as the Tigers managed to pull away for a 50-41 victory.
W-G freshman Kayley Dresback scored 90 seconds into the game to bring the hosts to within a point, a 3-2. That was as close as the Hawks (1-13, 1-13) would get until the final seconds of the third quarter, as Taylor Bickham sank three 3-pointers to fuel a run that pushed the Tigers (8-9, 6-7) in front by a 16-2 margin after one period and had the guests holding a 19-8 lead with five minutes left in the first half.
The hosts entered the locker room facing a 26-16 deficit, but immediately began to whittle the margin away once play resumed.
Mary Hansen scored for the Hawks, with Riley Jamison sinking a 3-pointer, only to have Bickham answer. However, Hansen scored twice off the break to close the score to 29-25 and force a timeout.
W-G suffered a blow when Hansen was sent to the bench with her fourth foul with 4:12 to play in the third period. Madrid quickly launched a run, with Bickham scoring seven consecutive points for a 36-25 lead before Maggi Mallon added two baskets and Jamison another trey as the divide shrank to 36-32.
A free throw from Kaitlyn Peters and two at the line from Dresback were the final points in the third period, which ended with the Hawks having come all the way back to be within a point, at 36-35.
Hansen returned with 6:25 to play and made a pair of foul shots to help offset baskets by Shayla Peters and Rylan Santi and keep W-G in range, at 40-37. Shayla Peters had three points and Bickham two in the next two minutes, but two Hansen free throws and an Alyssa Bice bucket kept Hawk hopes alive at 45-41 with two minutes to play.
Unfortunately for W-G the Madrid defense began to impact the game just when it mattered most, as turnovers led to a Shayla Peters foul shot and a steal and layup from Hunter Raymond that moved the score to 48-41, with two freebies from Raymond finishing the scoring.
Bickham sank five 3-pointers en route to a game-high 23 points for the Tigers, with Peters adding 13 points, Raymond nine and Santi five as only four players scored for Madrid.
Hansen’s 16 points led the Hawks, with Jamison contributing 10 points and Dresback six. Peters had three points, with two points apiece coming from Bice, Kendra Husmann and Riley Kirton.
Three home games (weather permitting) are on tap for next week for the Hawks. W-G is scheduled to host Panorama Tuesday, with Grandview Christian to visit Thursday and Earlham Friday.
