Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘Makana Stone’

One more time, with feeling

Posted in Basketball, tagged , , , , on March 9, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Makana Stone drills a jumper during warm-ups. (Photo property Loughborough University)

This one was a slam dunk.

Coming off of her most-dominating performance in England, Coupeville grad Makana Stone was tabbed Tuesday as the National Basketball League Player of the Week.

It’s the third time this season she’s received the honor.

The former Wolf was lights-out Saturday, when she went off for 20 points, 26 rebounds, six steals, four blocked shots, and three assists as she helped Loughborough University top Worcester 73-64.

That victory avenged an earlier-season loss to the same team in a game in which Stone and a fellow starter were fouled out right before overtime started.

Coupeville’s progeny has amassed a double-double in every game she’s played overseas, a big reason why Loughborough is 8-3 overall, 8-1 with Stone in the lineup.

On the season, the American assassin has racked up 156 points, 147 rebounds, 20 assists, 31 steals, and five blocks, while also working on her master’s in exercise physiology.

Read Full Post »

Don’t hurt ’em, Kana (too late)

Posted in Basketball, tagged , , , , on March 6, 2021| 1 Comment »

Makana Stone threw down a 20-point, 26-rebound performance Saturday in England. (Photo property of Loughborough University)

The wrecking crew has arrived.

Going on the road Saturday, Coupeville’s Makana Stone delivered maybe her most explosive basketball performance since arriving in England.

The former Wolf went off for 20 points, 26 rebounds, six steals, four blocked shots, and three assists as she helped Loughborough University avenge an earlier-season loss.

Using a fourth-quarter run to pull away in a nail-biter, the Riders exited with a 73-64 victory against host Worcester.

That was sweet payback for an overtime loss in November, a game in which refs fouled out Stone and another key Loughborough player right before the extra period.

This time around, the zebras were more realistic, assessing just two fouls on Coupeville’s progeny as she played all but 35 seconds of the game.

With the win, Loughborough improves to 8-3 overall, 8-1 with Stone in the lineup, and 8-0 in games where she’s allowed to play until the final buzzer.

Saturday’s rematch went back-and-forth until the Riders pulled away in the final nine minutes of the game.

Trailing 21-19 after one quarter, and 36-35 at the half, Loughborough slipped back in front 50-49 headed to the game’s final frame.

Worcester had one last push, briefly pulling ahead 54-50, then fell apart as Stone took control down the stretch.

Pumping in 10 of her 20 points in the fourth quarter, she sparked Loughborough to a 23-10 finish to seal the deal.

The Riders cracked Worcester with a 12-0 run, with Stone banking home a team-best five points during the surge.

She now has a double-double in all nine games she’s played in England, and sits with 156 points, 147 rebounds, 20 assists, 31 steals, and five blocks on the season.

The Riders, who played Saturday without big-time basket producers Robyn Ainge and Katie Januszewska, got 20 points from Molly James and 11 out of Hannah Bird in support of Stone.

Loughborough, which is second in the National Basketball League behind Ipswich (9-1), returns to action next Saturday, March 13, when it hosts winless BA London.

 

Read Full Post »

Still a Stone-cold hoops assassin

Posted in Basketball, tagged , , , , on February 27, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Makana Stone brings the ball up court Saturday in England. (Photo property Loughborough University)

It’s an effective formula.

Makana Stone plus a basketball usually equals a win.

When the Coupeville High School grad is in the lineup for Loughborough University this season, the Riders are 7-1.

Without her, 0-2.

So, it was a good thing Stone was back in uniform Saturday, and back to layin’ down a beatin’ on her opponents.

Going off for 15 points, 11 rebounds, three steals, and two assists, the former Wolf helped spark Loughborough to a wire-to-wire win over host CoLA Southwark.

The 81-55 victory keeps the Riders (7-3) in second-place in England’s National Basketball League, within shouting distance of frontrunner Ipswich (9-1), whose only loss came on a last-second Stone bucket earlier this season.

Saturday, Loughborough jumped on CoLA Southwark early, exploding to a 27-12 lead after one quarter of play.

From there, the Riders got methodical, ringing up 18-11, 18-17, and 18-15 advantages across the remaining three quarters of play.

Loughborough spread out its attack, with Molly James pumping in a game-high 18 points to lead four Riders into double-digits scoring.

Stone added her 15, while Robyn Ainge banked in 13, and Katie Januszewska rounded out the attack with 12 points and 11 boards.

Coupeville’s progeny has dropped a double-double in every game she’s played overseas, and now sits with 136 points, 121 rebounds, 17 assists, and 25 steals on the season.

Stone and Co. return to action next Saturday, March 6, when they face off with Worcester.

Read Full Post »

Kana is a Killer

Posted in Basketball, tagged , , , , on January 30, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Makana Stone returned to play Saturday, recording another double-double to lead her British hoops team to its fifth-straight win. (Photo property Loughborough University)

It was a nice way to ease back into things.

Playing for the first time in a month-and-a-half, Coupeville grad Makana Stone and the Loughborough University women’s basketball team romped to a big win Saturday in England.

With the former Wolf throwing down her seventh double-double in as many games, tallying 18 points and snatching 15 rebounds, the Riders drilled winless BA London 77-62.

The victory lifts Loughborough to 6-2 on the season and pulls it just a half-game back of National Basketball League leader Ipswich (6-1), a team Stone and Co. have already beaten this season.

After closing out 2020 with back-to-back one-point victories, the Riders ended up sitting out longer than expected.

The standard Christmas break morphed into a COVID-related shutdown, as Britain’s Division One teams were sidelined after Prime Minister Boris Johnson instituted a nation-wide halt of most activity in response to new variations in the virus.

Now that basketball is returning to play, the league schedule has been tweaked, and at least one school, Bristol Academy, has chosen to end its season.

Loughborough will have another break, not playing again until Sunday, February 14, when it’s scheduled to match-up with the CoLA Southwark Pride.

Current plans call for the relaunched season to run through March 28, when the standings will be frozen.

After that, schools will be broken into two pools, with the top six in one group and teams #7-#11 in another.

Eight teams make the NBL playoffs, set to tip-off May 15-16, with the championship game the weekend of May 29-30.

Saturday, all the focus was just on getting back into the flow of actually playing games, something Stone and her Riders teammates had been awaiting.

With their opponent not having seen action since mid-November, and coming into play having lost all four of its games, opportunity abounded.

Consider the moment seized. Though maybe not as easily as expected.

Loughborough claimed its first lead at 3-1 on a Molly James three-ball, and never trailed again, but didn’t really pull away from BA London until midway through the fourth quarter.

Stone poured in 10 of her team-high 18 points in the opening frame, lifting the Riders to a 25-20 lead at the first break, but the Lions stayed competitive most of the day.

The two teams were tied 36-36 just before the half, and Loughborough’s lead sat at just 63-58 with a hair over three-and-a-half minutes to play in the game.

At which point the Riders put the ball in Stone’s hands, cheering as their American assassin banked in three buckets to spur a game-busting 9-2 run.

Coupeville’s progeny narrowly missed out on a triple-double, making off with nine steals to go with her 18 points and 15 boards.

She also dealt out two assists while playing nearly 34 minutes.

Stone was one of five Riders to net double-digit scoring totals Saturday, with Sasha Lecuyer (13), James (12), Robyn Ainge (11), and Kacey Cox (10) joining her.

On the season, Stone has racked up 121 points, 110 rebounds, 15 assists, and 22 steals.

Read Full Post »

Back to the bench, for a bit

Posted in Basketball, tagged , , , , on January 13, 2021| Leave a Comment »

The pandemic is pausing Makana Stone’s latest basketball season. (Photo property Loughborough University)

The pause will be longer.

With Britain in a national lockdown after a substantial rise in COVID-19 cases, elite-level basketball has been sidelined.

At least for a bit.

Coupeville graduate Makana Stone, who plays for Loughborough University, was scheduled to return to action January 9.

But the Riders, who went to winter break boasting a 5-2 record, postponed their clash with Southwark.

Now, Basketball England has gone a step further, announcing Wednesday that all Women’s National Basketball League Division One games will be put on hold until Jan. 30 because of the lockdown.

That takes games against Cardiff (Jan. 16) and Worcester (Jan. 23) off the schedule for Stone and Co., with the hope Loughborough will return to play Jan. 30 against Bristol.

The pause for WNBL1 teams is better than what non-elite senior and junior teams received, as their seasons were outright cancelled.

Basketball England plans to employee COVID lateral flow testing for its players, which generally returns results in 30 minutes.

“We have taken note of the increased risk currently posed by the rate of COVID-19 and the concerns of our clubs and players at elite level,” said Basketball England CEO Stewart Kellett. “(We) will expand the testing currently taking place to keep everyone involved as safe as possible.”

The Riders currently sit a game back of league-leader Ipswich (6-1), who they toppled thanks to a buzzer-beater by Stone.

Loughborough is 5-1 since the Coupeville grad pulled on a uniform, and the former Wolf has been among the best players in the league.

Stone has recorded a double-double in every game she’s played in England, tallying 103 points, 95 rebounds, 13 assists, and 13 steals.

She’s #2 in the WNBL in rebounding (15.8 a night), #3 in efficiency (159.0), #7 in scoring (17.2), and #8 in free throw percentage (79.3%).

When Stone is not pursuing her hoop dreams, the Whitman College grad is busy earning a Master’s in Exercise Physiology.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »