Waterford takes a close game over Nelsonville-York
By: Bella DeOliveira
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NELSONVILLE, Ohio (WOUB) — The (11-8, 6-4) Nelsonville-York Buckeyes faced the (10-9, 6-3) Waterford Wildcats in a non-conference matchup Tuesday night.
Both teams went into this game knowing they needed to prove themselves for the win. NY’s defense and strategy were apparent from the beginning of the first quarter, making smart plays and executing them well. It was a neck-and-neck quarter with both teams scoring back-to-back. The Wildcats’ defense overpowered toward the end of the first, finishing the quarter 21-17, Waterford leading.
The second quarter started with the Buckeyes wanting to close the gap in the score. The Wildcats were making most of their plays outside the paint. Waterford’s Gavin Hiener was strong at the net, scoring 12 out of the 29 points at the time. The first half ended with Waterford in the lead, 37-31.
The need for consistency was evident in the third quarter, and the score was too tight not to make good plays. The game had been intense on both sides, with both teams playing aggressively and up front. NY’s Cam Sullivan was a big help to the Buckeyes, not only playing great defense at the net but being a big-time scorer for the team. The Wildcat’s energy was only increasing throughout the quarter. The third ended 53-42 Waterford.
The fourth quarter was a chance for either team to finish the job or come back in the game. Waterford had a consistent 10-point lead over the Buckeyes even into the middle of the fourth quarter. NY managed to tighten the score, but not in time for the Wildcats to take the game 73-69.
NY will play Meigs again on Feb. 17, while Waterford will play at Belpre this Friday.