Late run hands Redskins win over Wheeling Park

WINTERSVILLE - For the final time in what can only be described as illustrious high school careers, the seven seniors on the Indian Creek girls basketball team took the floor at the Redskins' gymnasium.

Not only did the Wheeling Hospital Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Class AAAA semifinal game against Wheeling Park have sentimental significance for the hosts, but a win would move the Redskins one step closer to their goal of an OVAC championship.

In what was a nip-and-tuck battle between two of the Valley's best, Indian Creek came up with some big defensive plays down the stretch and converted those opportunities into points during a 67-58 win Monday.

Indian Creek head coach Erin DeSantis would like her upperclassmen to savor this victory.

"It was nice to have these seniors leave this floor on that kind of note," she said. "That is something that they are going to remember."

The victory moved Indian Creek to 15-4 on the season and the seniors - Ty Harris, Gabbi Davis, Mikki Davis, Meghan Billick, Chelsea Furda, Hannah Ross and Allana Side - are a combined 52-9 over the past three years.

"They've had several goals and this tournament is certainly one of them," DeSantis explained. "Along the way the last several years, we've expected almost perfection out of them, because of what they have done in the past. There was always kind of a feeling that, if they didn't succeed, they were letting everybody down.

"They have to realize that they are doing it for themselves. I appreciate the crowd here tonight and that was great. But, the bottom line is that they deserve the credit because they have worked hard to get where they are."

With the score tied 52-52 and just 3:36 to play, the team leaders for the Redskins certainly showed that the accolades were well deserved. After Billick converted on 1-of-2 free throws to give Indian Creek the one-point advantage, Ty Harris broke free in transition after a Patriot turnover. Harris' basket increased the Indian Creek lead to 55-52 with just over two minutes to play.

Another Wheeling Park turnover turned into another transition basket, as Bri Kamarec finished at the basket to give the hosts a 57-52 lead with 1:44 to play.

The 5-0 spurt forced Wheeling Park head coach Meredith Anderson to use a timeout.

"I think that a lot of credit goes to Indian Creek," she said. "They were very well-prepared for us both defensively and offensively. They forced us into some turnovers and we just didn't take care of the lead when we had it down the stretch."

Coming out of the timeout, a Wheeling Park miss was followed by a Patriots' foul. Indian Creek's Gabbi Davis made good at the charity stripe, stretching the lead to 59-52. Davis would make a return trip to the line moments later after another Wheeling Park turnover and a foul. Davis was true once again and, suddenly, the Redskins' lead was nine with just 1:29 to play.

"I could see the fire back in their eyes," DeSantis explained. "Off and on during the season, I wasn't always sure that it was there. This is a good group of girls and they find a way to win. Basically, what has happened to us is that good teams find a way to win. We found that way this evening.

"We could have folded several times and there were moments where we didn't take really good care of the ball. It cost us many times and we came out in the third quarter and fell behind by five or six.

"So, I think that the girls dug deep and played with a lot of heart. I wouldn't trade them for the world."

Wheeling Park would get the lead back down to five when two free throws by Liz Scammell was followed by a steal and layup by Austyn Creighton, but the Redskins would prove golden at the free throw line in the final minute.

Kamarec and Harris would net four straight at the line and, as the final buzzer sounded, the Redskins had earned a spot in the OVAC final.

"We were 16-for-18 (in the fourth quarter)," DeSantis said. "That really helped. I knew that they were going to foul us, because that was the only way for them to get the ball back. Those free throws are crucial and that will make or break a game sometimes. If you don't make those, it is a whole different game."

The Redskins finished a sterling 24-for-28 from the charity stripe for the game.

"We just didn't take care of the ball like we should have," Anderson said. "Then, when we had to foul, they convert all of their free throws. That was really the story of the last two minutes of the ballgame. We didn't get some offensive rebounds when we needed to get some second looks and then they go and knock down their shots.

"So, all of the credit to Indian Creek. We always address losses as a learning experience. We have to work on what we have to do when we have a lead and what to do when we are down. This game will just help us prepare even more for tournament time here in a few weeks."

Indian Creek will face Steubenville Big Red, which defeated John Marshall 67-60 in the other semifinal, at 1 p.m. at Ohio University-Eastern in the OVAC Class AAAA final. The Redskins were led by Kamarec with 19 points, while Billick contributed 14. Mikki and Gabbi Davis each added 10.

"If we play Steubenville, we will get two shots at them, because we have them in the sectional draw," DeSantis said. "We expect a good one on Saturday."

Wheeling Park (13-5) was led in defeat by Emily Puskarich with 15 points. Creighton and Carly Slater each had 10 points.

Indian Creek 67, Wheeling Park 58

Wheeling Park 13 11 17 17 - 58

Indian Creek 12 16 14 25 - 67

WHEELING PARK (13-5): Puskarich 5 5-6 15; Creighton 3 4-5 10; Slater 4 0-0 10; Scammell 3 2-2 8; Robb 2 0-0 6; Stefanow 2 1-2 5; Forzano 1 0-0 2; Morris 1 0-0 2; Crawshaw 0 0-0 0. 3-pointers: Robb (2), Slater (2). Totals: 21 12-15 58.

INDIAN CREEK (15-4): Kamarec 7 4-5 19; Billick 4 6-8 14; M. Davis 3 2-3 10; G. Davis 2 6-6 10; Harris 1 6-6 8; Furda 3 0-0 6; Mathieu 0 0-0 0. 3-pointers: M. Davis (2), Kamarec. Totals: 20 24-28 67.