Little Giants run away from Cougars

Waynesboro took a break from Valley District play Wednesday night, squaring off with former district rival Stuarts Draft in a game that was originally scheduled for Jan. 11.

The Little Giants were able to hang with the Cougars’ fast-paced style of play, putting 33 points on the board in the first quarter and cruising to an 88-69 victory.

Alex Graves notched 13 of his game-high 23 points in the first eight minutes, dominating in the paint and scoring on numerous putbacks. The Giants scored eight unanswered after Draft’s Hunter Howerton hit a 3-pointer to start the game and then reeled off 12 unanswered following a Zach Saunder trey to go ahead 20-6.

At the end of the first quarter, Waynesboro led 33-18.

The Cougars seemed to find their touch in the second, as Tyler Brydge tallied nine of his 13 points, scoring both inside and outside. Skylar Phillips’ coast-to-coast layup in the final minute ensured that Waynesboro would go into halftime with at least a double-digit lead, as the scoreboard read 45-34 in favor of the Giants at the break.

 “We got off to a good start and then got sloppy in the second quarter, but we made enough good decisions and handled the ball well most of the time,” Waynesboro head coach C. Jay DeWitt said.

Two quick 3s from Wesley Henderson in the opening minute of the second half gave the Cougars life, as they cut the lead to seven, 47-40. However, six points would be as close as Draft would get. Graves and Shy Washington made the most of their offensive rebounds, each scoring on multiple stickbacks in the third frame.

In the final quarter, the Giants’ lead got as big as 23 points and they outscored the Cougars 21-15.

Washington finished the night with 21 points, while Phillips wrapped up with 17.

Henderson joined Brydge in double figures for Draft, posting 15 points.

“We’re just trying to get better toward the end of the year,” Draft head coach Mike Gale, also giving Waynesboro its due credit. “They’re a quality team. They’ve got ball handlers, they’ve got scorers inside and they’ve got shooters.”

The Cougars (3-14, 3-7 Shenandoah District) will play in the first game of a varsity doubleheader at Riverheads on Friday, tipping off at 5:30 p.m.

The Giants (14-1, 7-1 Valley District) meet up with archrival R.E. Lee on Saturday. Waynesboro won the first head-to-head matchup, 61-58, on Dec. 16.

“We’re looking forward to going over there,” DeWitt said. “We’ve had some good games over the years and we’re confident.”

Waynesboro has now won 13 straight.