Makana Stone goes up for two of her 17 points Saturday in England. (Photo property Loughborough University)
Knifed in the back by the refs.
Coupeville grad Makana Stone and her new English basketball mates were on their way to a win Saturday, only to have the guys in the striped shirts change things up, and not in a good way.
With Stone pounding away for 17 points and 11 rebounds, Loughborough University led by nine with less than four minutes to play.
Then the refs got extra-picky (we’ll assume), fouling out both the former Wolf and one of her running mates, guard Robyn Ainge, and things went downhill from there.
Unable to hold a late lead, the Riders eventually went to overtime with Worcester, then were blanked 15-0 in the extra frame, falling 82-67 to the undefeated Wolves.
The loss drops Loughborough to 1-2 on the season.
The game was a tight one most of the way, with the two squads knotted at 17-17 at the first break.
From there, Worcester pulled ahead 33-28 at the half, only to see Loughborough throw down 27 points in the third quarter en route to retaking the advantage at 55-51.
The Riders stretched their lead all the way out to nine points when Stone tossed in her final layup at the 3:41 mark.
Still up 67-62 with just 30 ticks on the clock, Loughborough was stung at the very end by back-to-back buckets, with a late three-ball forcing overtime.
With 40% of their starting lineup shackled to the bench, the Riders endured a painful overtime period, creating a final score which, at first glance, looks like a blowout.
Worcester took advantage of Stone’s absence, outscoring Loughborough 26-2 after its American ace was sent to the sideline.
Playing in her second game overseas, the Coupeville and Whitman College grad kept her hot play going, with her second double-double.
Stone added two assists and two steals to her 17 and 11 performance, while teammate Katie Januszewska chipped in with 14 points and 11 rebounds of her own.
On the season, Stone has racked up 35 points, 36 rebounds, five assists, five steals, and a blocked shot.
Loughborough, which plays most of its games on Saturdays, returns to action November 28 with a clash against Thames Valley.
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