By Grace Ostuni
Staff Writer
In their last home game, the Franciscan University women’s basketball team beat the Waynesburg Yellow Jackets by a score of 64-52.
Waynesburg took the early lead first, but the Lady Barons got themselves together and took the lead back before the end of the first quarter by a score of 12-9 with the help of sophomore center Madison Doan and sophomore guard Jazzlyn Melnyk.
The Barons beat the Yellow Jackets on both the defensive and offensive ends of the ball. They started with a man-to-man defense, blocking shots and stealing the ball between passes and shots. The Barons also kept grabbing offensive rebounds, which accounted for many second-chance points.
Halfway through the second quarter, the Barons took a strong lead, 23-9, causing Waynesburg to try and make up lost ground. Felicia MacGillivray, a sophomore guard, made two three-pointers in a row, putting the Barons further out of reach of the Yellow Jackets. Tye score at halftime stood at 31-19, Lady Barons.
In the second half, the Barons switched to a zone defense, keeping up their energy and driving hard. Both teams put everything they had on the court, resulting in multiples fouls on each side. Waynesburg began to full court press to cause turnovers and cut into the Baron lead, but it was unsuccessful.
The teams drew out the last minute of the game. Time outs were called at 49 seconds, 38 seconds, 35 seconds, and 28 seconds.
The Barons had the lead, and they tried to drain the clock, slowing down their plays. They succeeded in winning their fourth game of the season by a score of 64-52.
“We played really well. (I) got to give the credit to Waynesburg – they came ready to play … but to close out this place with a win is awesome,” said head coach Sean Kirk.