HOLMES TOWNSHIP — The game plan was simple for Carey’s clash with Wynford: Keep the ball away from the Lady Royals’ shooters and limit their opportunities.

The plan worked to perfection.

Even though Wynford sophomore Caroline Sheldon led the way with 15 points, the Lady Royals didn’t get the number of chances they would have liked, as the Devils came away with a 35-30 win.

With the win, the Devils improved to 4-2 overall, 2-1 in the Northern 10 Athletic Conference, while the Lady Royals fell to 4-3 overall, 1-2 in the conference.

But Carey coach Keith O’Flaherty said that his plan was to be very patient on offense.

“The longer we keep the ball out of their hands, the less points they score,” O’Flaherty said. “If we have patience, we could have some good looks under the basket. We stressed that a little bit; the longer we have it, the less they have it.”

Wynford took just 30 shots in the game, making only 10, something that Wynford coach Amy Taylor-Sheldon didn’t want to happen.

“We needed to be physically aggressive, and we didn’t do that early,” Taylor-Sheldon said. “We just turned the ball over too much in the first half. We didn’t have enough opportunities to shoot it; we should have done a better job of taking care of the ball.”

With Carey holding the basketball for more than 30 seconds on most possessions, Wynford just didn’t get the opportunities.

“As physical as it was, we didn’t get as many opportunities as we wanted to and we didn’t take care of the ball,” Taylor-Sheldon said. “We have to find a way to handle pressure a little bit better.”

Carey held a 9-5 lead after one period and led 18-14 at the break.

Wynford scored the final eight points of the third period and tied the game at 24-24, entering the final frame.

After the Devils scored the first five points of the fourth period to take a 29-24 lead, Wynford got a basket and two free throws from Maradath Engler to cut the deficit to 29-28 with 1:15 left in the game.

Carey got a huge basket from Trinity Reinhart to increase the lead back to three, 31-28, with 47 seconds remaining.

But Wynford had an opportunity with 27 seconds left as the Devils fouled Sheldon, giving her three tries at the line. Sheldon made two of the three and Carey led, 31-30 at that point.

“We almost gave the game away,” O’Flaherty said. “We missed some layups, and we missed some free throws there late. Defensively, we stepped it up in the second half and got the job done.

“You give their shooters an open look and they’re going to make them. You contest them, and it’s a 50/50 there. That was our goal; to at least contest it. I didn’t like the fact that we fouled Sheldon there and give her three free throws. That was a mental lapse on our part.”

Carey guard Rachel Rinehart sealed the win, hitting four of four from the line.

“We didn’t get into what we wanted to, especially defensively,” Taylor-Sheldon said. “That was just kind of a lapse.

“We didn’t block out, so I have to find a way to ramp up practice so we can have a little more simulation of defensive intensity,” she added. “So, when game time comes, I can do a better job of preparing us for that.”

Box score

Carey            9        9         6       11 — 35

Wynford      5        9       10         6 — 30

Carey (4-2, 2-1 N10): Shots 13-30; 3-pt. shots 2 (Raigan Kessler, Emily Brodman); Free throws 5-12; Rebounds 11; Turnovers 10. Scoring: Raigan Kessler 2 0 5, Rachel Reinhart 2 4 8, Riley Yost 3 2 8, Rylie Stoops 0 1 1, Emily Brodman 3 0 7, Trinity Reinhart 2 0 4, McKinley Kessler 1 0 2.

Wynford (4-3, 1-2 N10): Shots 10-30; 3-pt. shots 3 (Caroline Sheldon 2, Maradath Engler); Free throws 7-11; Rebounds 17; Turnovers 13. Scoring: Caroline Sheldon 4 0 15, Maradath Engler 2 2 7, Brook Frombaugh 3 0 6, Maggie Ridge 1 0 2.