The Wayne High girls basketball team held top-ranked Crofton 21 points under their season average, but couldn’t buy a bucket of their own as they dropped a 40-24 decision to the five-time defending Class C2 champions Saturday at Wayne High School.
The two teams traded baskets early, with Allison Echtenkamp getting Wayne on the board after a Warriors basket. Crofton would answer with a nine-point run and built a 15-6 lead after one period.
Wayne got within four early in the second with 3-pointers by Kelsey Boyer and Kylie Hammer and a Lindy Sandoz free throw, but Crofton rebuilt the lead to nine points at the half and limited Wayne to just 10 second-half points to come away with the win.
Hammer led the 14-5 Blue Devils with 10 points and Boyer added seven. Frankie Clausen had three points, Echtenkamp scored two and Sandoz and Gabi Meyer both had one.
Wayne faces O’Neill in the first round of the Mid State Conference tournament Monday at 7:45 p.m. at Northeast Community College.
