Young Williamstown outlasts Delsea

For Williamstown girls' basketball coach Karen Dilmore, the game was like watching her young team grow up before her eyes.

Sophomore Taylor Walker said she wanted the ball in her hands late in overtime at Delsea.

After four-plus quarters of what Dilmore called "possessed basketball," the coach obliged the young guard.

The results were consistent with Walker's effort to that point. She hit four consecutive free throws in the final 30 seconds of overtime, sending the Braves to a 58-55 win over Tri-County Royal Division rival Delsea.

The win moved Williamstown (15-3 overall, 8-1 Royal), ranked No. 7 in The Inquirer's South Jersey rankings, into a tie atop the division with No. 6 Delsea (15-2, 8-1).

"Taylor Walker's performance at the end just shows how mature she is," said Dilmore, fresh off winning her 200th game on Tuesday. "She was just absolutely phenomenal tonight. She played her heart out on offense and defense."

Walker's performance is symbolic of where the Braves have been heading as a team recently. Dilmore offered nearly the exact same praise for freshman forward Taylor Bynoe.

Bynoe netted a game-high 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. She hit her team's only overtime field goal, and pulled down three crucial boards in the extra period.

"Bynoe has just been on a tear recently," Dilmore said. "She really has grown up a lot in the last month. She's starting to come into her own and play with a lot more confidence.

"We've just been playing with a lot of determination and teamwork. And that makes such a big difference."

Walker and Bynoe echoed their coach. The two said they felt the unavoidable pressure when Delsea stormed back late in the game, erasing a double-digit deficit and sending the game to OT on a buzzer-beater by senior guard Meeko Hassinger. But though they felt the pressure, the two said it didn't faze them.

"We're all getting more comfortable with our own games and with each other," Bynoe said.

Added Walker: "I just try to keep calm and stay focused. I wanted the ball at the end, but this was a total team effort. We're all jelling. We're all getting along. It's been great."

Though Walker scored 16 points, her most important contribution was her defense on Hassinger. Walker was tasked with guarding the versatile scorer one-on-one for most of the game. She held Hassinger, who came in averaging 17.3 points, to five points through three quarters.

That was a major reason for Williamstown's 18-5 lead after one period.

"We put ourselves in a hole," said Delsea coach Rob Briles, whose team beat Williamstown, 44-40, on Jan. 3. "Williamstown is a very, very good basketball team. I'm happy with the effort we gave. But we can do a lot of things better on offense."

Williamstown built a 41-28 lead in the third quarter before Delsea stormed back. The outside shooting of Nicole Carney (19 points) consistently kept the game from becoming out of reach for Delsea.

Hassinger scored the fourth quarter's final six points, tying the game on a free throw with 1:56 left. Delsea again struggled to score in overtime, and Hassinger just missed a three-point attempt at the buzzer.

Williamstown   18 13 12 4 11 - 58

Delsea   5 21 8 13 8 - 55

W: Dayna Fyffe 8, Julia Dixon 2, Jalen Reed 2, Taylor Walker 16, Taylor Bynoe 20, Taylor Abbot 5, De'Nisha Green 5.

D: Tori Levari 10, Taylor Christina 13, Meeko Hassinger 11, Nicole Carney 19, Falyn Kirby 2.