There’s been one thing Wilmington High girls basketball coach Brandy Sanford has been preaching to her team all season.

“The shots you don’t take never go in.”

With their playoff hopes on the line and the Lady Greyhounds trailing by one with six seconds left, Tessa Sikora took that shot.

Sikora’s game-winning 10-footer propelled District 10 team Wilmington in its regular season finale to a 46-45 victory at Region 2-AA Greenville last night.

“She’s really stepped up this season,” Sanford noted of Sikora. “Last year, she did a nice job for us rebounding. She’s stepped up in the scoring arena this year and become a major asset to us. There’s only been a couple games where she’s only scored four or five points. She’s coming through both on rebounds and points for us. She’s just really coming into her own — getting a little bit stronger and using her body better to her advantage.”

The Lady Greyhounds (5-7, 9-13) gained the early advantage, holding a 15-8 lead after the first quarter. But that was short-lived, as a 20-point third quarter by the Lady Trojans (3-9, 7-15) pushed them to an eight-point lead with two minutes left in the game.

“Our third quarter almost every single game is our break quarter. That third quarter hump, I don’t know what it is,” Sanford said. “Greenville had a great third quarter. We were turning the ball over, not rebounding and not making shots.”

Wilmington stormed back, cutting the lead to one with 20 seconds remaining before Sikora’s big field goal ended the game.

“I was extremely proud of them for sticking with it. It’s not our typical fashion to come back with that much of a game left,” Sanford said. “We had to dig deep mentally and physically to win.”

Alanna Elliott had a
There’s been one thing Wilmington High girls basketball coach Brandy Sanford has been preaching to her team all season.

“The shots you don’t take never go in.”

With their playoff hopes on the line and the Lady Greyhounds trailing by one with six seconds left, Tessa Sikora took that shot.

Sikora’s game-winning 10-footer propelled District 10 team Wilmington in its regular season finale to a 46-45 victory at Region 2-AA Greenville last night.

“She’s really stepped up this season,” Sanford noted of Sikora. “Last year, she did a nice job for us rebounding. She’s stepped up in the scoring arena this year and become a major asset to us. There’s only been a couple games where she’s only scored four or five points. She’s coming through both on rebounds and points for us. She’s just really coming into her own — getting a little bit stronger and using her body better to her advantage.”

The Lady Greyhounds (5-7, 9-13) gained the early advantage, holding a 15-8 lead after the first quarter. But that was short-lived, as a 20-point third quarter by the Lady Trojans (3-9, 7-15) pushed them to an eight-point lead with two minutes left in the game.

“Our third quarter almost every single game is our break quarter. That third quarter hump, I don’t know what it is,” Sanford said. “Greenville had a great third quarter. We were turning the ball over, not rebounding and not making shots.”

Wilmington stormed back, cutting the lead to one with 20 seconds remaining before Sikora’s big field goal ended the game.

“I was extremely proud of them for sticking with it. It’s not our typical fashion to come back with that much of a game left,” Sanford said. “We had to dig deep mentally and physically to win.”

Alanna Elliott had a team-high 13 points for the Lady Greyhounds, including the team’s lone 3-pointer. Sikora was next with 12.

The victory keeps Wilmington alive for a D-10 postseason berth, but Sanford was unsure of her team’s prospects of making it in.

“It’s still up in the air,” she said. “I don’t know how many teams they’re taking. We’re on the bubble. It depends on how many they take and what happens.”
team-high 13 points for the Lady Greyhounds, including the team’s lone 3-pointer. Sikora was next with 12.

The victory keeps Wilmington alive for a D-10 postseason berth, but Sanford was unsure of her team’s prospects of making it in.

“It’s still up in the air,” she said. “I don’t know how many teams they’re taking. We’re on the bubble. It depends on how many they take and what happens.”