Coupeville grad Makana Stone knocked down 13 points Sunday, her best showing as a pro. (Photo property Leicester Riders)
It was a barn-burner, albeit one with a slightly sad ending.
The Leicester Riders, sparked by the play of Coupeville’s Makana Stone, went basket for basket with the Sheffield Hatters Sunday in England, before falling 77-74.
The loss drops the Riders to 1-2 in Women’s British Basketball League regular-season play, while Sheffield rises to 3-0 and is tied with the London Lions atop the 13-team conference.
Leicester is 4-2 overall during Stone’s inaugural season of professional hoops, having opened the season with three-straight wins in WBBL Cup play.
Sunday’s bout was an intense one, with Sheffield up by three at the first break, Leicester back in front by three at the half, then Sheffield clinging to a one-point advantage headed to the final frame.
Neither team led by more than a single possession in the second half, and Stone was dynamic down the stretch for Leicester.
Dropping in eight of her professional-best 13 points in the fourth quarter, the former Wolf hit her buckets in the biggest moments.
Stone staked Leicester to a 66-65 lead with 4:40 to go, then twice pulled the Riders within a point in the final minute of play.
Her driving layup with just 14 ticks on the clock got Leicester to within 75-74, but Sheffield held strong, netting a pair of free throws to set the final margin at three.
When she wasn’t stoppin’ and poppin’, Stone also made her presence felt in other ways, adding a rebound, three assists, and a steal to her line on the stat sheet.
Riders teammate Chelsea Jennings led all scorers with 20 points, while Sheffield benefited from the one-two combo of Helen Naylor and Ariona Gill, who went for 19 and 18, respectively.
Through her first six professional games, Stone has amassed 41 points, 42 rebounds, 11 assists, and three steals.
Leicester returns to action next Saturday, Oct. 23, when it squares off with Newcastle, which is 0-3 in regular-season play.
Coupeville Sports 
Leave a Reply