COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Hayley Duff’s buzzer-beater layup lifted Waterford over Jackson Center 37-35 in a girls Division IV semifinal game Thursday.
Waterford punched its ticket to a fourth consecutive Division IV state final. The defending champion Wildcats will defend the title Saturday. Alli Kern led Waterford (25-3) with 15 points, and Duff added 10. Leading 20-15 at the half, Waterford outscored Jackson Center 12-3 in the third quarter. However, Jackson Center made its comeback, scoring the first 12 points of the final quarter. With 18 seconds remaining, Cassie Meyer hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 35. Megan Ball then found Duff at the top of the key, and she drove the lane for the game winner for the Wildcats. Meyer led Jackson Center (23-5) with 10 points.