The long-awaited showdown between top teams in the Northern Athletic Conference escalated quickly in the fourth quarter.

In the first 24 minutes of the game, there were two instances where the team in the lead switched. The last eight minutes had five instances of tied scores and six instances of the lead changing. Taliya Rowe’s steal and layup with 1:16 remaining ultimately made the difference as Rolesville narrowly won 51-49 against Wakefield to start their league games.

In the first quarter, Rolesville took a slight 5-4 lead. Rowe, who entered the game as a substitute, quickly made a three-point shot to give the Rams the lead for the next 21 minutes.

The second quarter started with the road team taking control. Rowe made two additional three-point shots and Kayla Bush scored in a crowded area, leading to an 8-0 run in the first two minutes and twelve seconds.

Caitlyn Jones’ 1000th career point helped Rolesville to a 17-7 lead, their largest of the night.

Maddison McIntyre, Jaya Hamilton, and Elle Harris collaborated to create a Wolverine comeback before halftime. In just two minutes, the trio scored nine points, ending the first half with a score of 25-18.

During the third quarter, Wakefield steadily reduced the lead held by Rolesville. Lyla Bagwell contributed to this effort with 6 out of her 11 points scored in the third. Aly Schaffer also pitched in by making her first three-pointer of the game, while Hamilton also added five points by finding open lanes to the basket.

In the third quarter, Rolesville had a lead of 37-28, but a late 6-0 run by the Wolverines narrowed the gap. As a result, going into the fourth quarter, the Rams were only ahead by one possession.

In the beginning of the fourth quarter, after just a little over a minute, Schaffer and McIntyre increased Wakefield’s lead to 11-2 and evened the score at 39. Finally, McIntyre gave the home team a 41-39 lead, causing the two teams to engage in a back-and-forth for five minutes.

Bush stepped up for Rolesville in the fourth with a pair of big baskets. She quickly loaded up and scored from the block to inch the Rams back ahead 45-43.

The crowd was abuzz as the lead in the game of tug-of-war shifted. Schaffer made a three-point shot that hit the back of the rim, bounced up high, and then gracefully descended through the net, giving Wakefield a one-point advantage at 46-45.

Rowe and Laila Lewis responded with four consecutive baskets, but Schaffer swiftly regained momentum for the Wolverines by making a game-tying three-pointer from the corner.

In the final 90 seconds of the game, Wakefield had the ball with the score tied at 49-49. However, Rowe was able to steal the ball from Bagwell and score on the opposite side, ultimately securing the win for their team.

Rolesville’s record is now 10-3, and they have yet to lose a game in the new year. On Monday, the Rams will play against the 9th ranked Seaforth in the MLK event at Green Level.

On Monday, Wakefield will travel to Green Level with a record of 10 wins and 4 losses. The Wolverines will start their game against the Gators at noon.

Rolesville Scoring:

• Rowe, 19
• Jones, 15
• Lewis, 8
• Bush, 7
• Everette, 3

Wakefield Scoring:

• Schaffer, 12
• Bagwell, 11
• McIntyre, 11
• Hamilton, 9
• Amend, 3
• Harris, 3

Source: highschoolot.com