Makana Stone racked up 13 points, 15 rebounds, and nine steals Saturday in England. (Photo property Loughborough University)
She put on a show.
Falling just a single steal shy of recording a triple double Saturday, Makana Stone tore up the blue hardwood at Uxbridge College.
With the Coupeville grad going off for 13 points, 15 rebounds, and nine steals, Loughborough University held on for a crucial 72-66 road win over Thames Valley, keeping the Riders in sole possession of second-place in England’s National Basketball League.
Now 10-4 on the season, 10-2 with Stone on the floor, Loughborough trails just Ipswich (13-2) with four games left in the regular season.
The Riders beat the league leaders the first time they met, and the two squads face off again May 1.
Saturday, Loughborough rode the inside/outside combo of Stone, who controlled the paint, and sharpshooting Robyn Ainge, who strafed Thames Valley from behind the arc.
Dropping four long-range three-balls, Ainge torched the nets for a game-high 28 points, while her running mate slashed through the defense with a bound to her step.
Loughborough held the advantage early, taking a 20-14 lead after one quarter, before stretching the margin to 44-35 at the half.
Thames Valley rallied in the third frame, however, using a 23-16 run to cut its deficit all the way back to a single bucket.
After lighting up the scoreboard through the first three quarters, the two teams turned the final 10 minutes into a defensive battle.
The game was still in doubt deep into the English afternoon (otherwise known as way too early in the morning in America), before Loughborough dropped the hammer.
Stone’s final bucket, a twisting banker in the paint, staked the Riders to a 68-63 lead, before Lauren Dabbs drilled a game-busting trey from the right corner to answer a Thames Valley three-ball.
Ainge closed the game out with a free throw, sending her squad home happy.
On the season, Stone sits with a tidy 185 points, 177 rebounds, 26 assists, 44 steals, and seven blocked shots.
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