Goldsboro never panicked.
After Midway erased a seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter, the Cougars remained composed and refused to let the Raiders win the game.
With 20 seconds left in the game, Shayla Greene hit the go-ahead layup, and Goldsboro held off Midway 45-43 on Friday night.
“I saw a lot of dedication and hustle, and that’s exactly what I told them that they needed to do,” Goldsboro head coach Latina Bullock-Thomas said. “We were getting on the floor after loose balls, and we were able to finish on a good note.”
Goldsboro started hot as Mary Archibald scored seven points of her 15 points in the first quarter and pushed the Cougars ahead 14-7 after one quarter.
Midway responded with a 5-2 run to cut Goldsboro’s lead down to four points, but Goldsboro answered with a run of its own and led 25-19 at halftime.
Midway took its first lead of the game late in the fourth quarter when Kris’Shyia McKoy sank a layup, but the Cougars sealed the game in the final minute when Amya Lucas scored to tie the game before Greene’s game-winning layup.
“It was great to see Shayla hit that shot because she had missed a couple of layups, and I think she surprised herself, so I know that was a top-notch thing for her,” Bullock-Thomas said.
Kyrah Davis led Goldsboro with 18 points. Archibald finished the game with 15 points, and Kaila Bell added five points.
