Giants get their first win

It took five games, but Waynesboro finally got its first win.

Looking to avenge a 50-44 opening-day loss to Wilson Memorial, the Little Giants’ defense clicked on Wednesday night to earn a 50-41 non-district win.

“We wanted to come out and keep building on what we think can be a good season for us,” said Waynesboro coach Secrett Stubblefield.

Shanda Brown stepped up for the Little Giants on Wednesday, scoring 23 points despite a 3-11 performance at the foul line. Before sinking her final two free throws of the game, she had missed eight straight.

“It was mainly all my teammates,” she said. “Without them I wouldn’t have done it. I don’t know even know what was wrong with my free throws. I listened to my dad and just followed through [on the last two] and made it.”

But Brown got the points that counted to lead Waynesboro to a confidence-building win. On Friday, Waynesboro will travel to Robert E. Lee for its second Southern Valley District contest of the season, and Stubblefield and company were looking to gain some momentum.

“The timing couldn’t be better, going into a game like Friday’s,” Stubblefield said

Trailing 14-11 as the clock wound down in the first quarter, Telisha Spencer hit a bucket at the buzzer to pull the Little Giants within two points, but Waynesboro couldn’t overtake the Green Hornets until the end of the second quarter.

Shanda Brown and Latoya Diggs hit back-to-back treys as the half closed in to give Waynesboro a 23-18 lead. Dee Deacon closed the game when she nailed a 3-pointer of her own at the end of the quarter.

“We played hard, we just didn’t do the little things,” said Wilson coach Jackie Bryan. “We have to concentrate on the little things, … and we are still adjusting. We got people that got to find their role and step up.”

After the break Waynesboro’s offense ignited, going on a 10-1 run to take a 33-22 lead. Jolie Dudley and Brown both hit 3s in the quarter to send Waynesboro into the final stanza with a 39-27 lead.

“We tend to panic a little bit,” Bryan said. “[Deacon] is doing her part but she can’t do it all.”

The Green Hornets couldn’t close the gap in the fourth, outscoring Waynesboro 14-11.

Wilson struggled all night at the foul line, going 8-18. If Wilson had hit seven more free throws it would have won the game.

Bryan said that her team was still trying to find its role and that she wasn’t worried about the non-district loss.

“If we are doing this in January, I will worry,” she said. “I knew going into this season that I was going to have to be patient.” 

Waynesboro (1-4, 0-1 Southern Valley) continued to struggle with fouls, with Spencer and Jasmine Awkard both getting into trouble early in the game.

“Our foul trouble is coming form our defense,” Stubblefield said. “We are young and I don’t think we get that it [hurts] our defense”

Wilson (3-2, 0-0 Shenandoah) will host Nelson County on Friday.