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Creek beats rival Edison

Michael Allan

WINTERSVILLE — Indian Creek controlled crunch time.

Keyed by a late run in the third quarter and a big fourth quarter, the Indian Creek boys’ basketball team rallied to defeat rival Edison, 48-44, Tuesday night to remain unbeaten.

Trailing 47-44 with 19.8 seconds left, the Wildcats had a chance to tie, but a 3-pointer bounced off of the rim and the Redskins put the game away with a make at the free-throw line.

“They got (a good look from 3) too,” Indian Creek coach Joe Dunlevy said. “We knew they were going to run something to get a kid open, and they did. Sometimes, the shot just doesn’t fall.”

Edison led by nine in the second half, but the Wildcats were unable to seal the deal.

“You can look at a possession here or there, but if you look at it we controlled the game for three-and-a-half quarters,” Edison coach Nate Moses said. “The last four minutes, they won. They won the most important part.”

The Redskins (4-0) outscored the Wildcats (1-3) 23-14 in the fourth, and the run extended to 27-14 as Edison led 30-21 in the third quarter before Indian Creek started its run.

“We were playing aggressive and strong defense,” Moses said when asked what his team did to build its lead. “Offensively, we were getting good looks. We were unselfish. We were doing what we needed to do.”

The Redskins took better care of the ball in the second half, enabling them to score points.

“In the first half, they pressured us, and we were careless with the ball,” Dunlevy said. “We had 12 turnovers in the first half, and that is a lot for us. You have to credit them for causing those turnovers. We did a better job of not turning the ball over in the second half.”

Three players scored in double digits to lead the way for Indian Creek. Michael Allan tallied a game-high 13 points, while Derrick Eakle and Austin Judson each collected 12.

Andrew Pugh produced 10 points to lead the way for Edison, while Isaac Schmitz scored nine.

Eakle collected the final four points of the third quarter, including scoring at the buzzer to pull Indian Creek to within 30-25 entering the fourth.

Allan put on a show in the fourth to lead the way for the Redskins as the senior scored 11 of his 13 points in the quarter.

Judson hit a 3-pointer to tie the score at 30-all, but a 3-pointer by Anthony Sinicropi and two foul shots by Pugh gave Edison a 35-30 advantage.

Indian Creek responded and ripped off a 13-3 run to take a 43-38 lead.

“The name of the game is to not have turnovers,” Dunlevy said. “In the second half, we did a better job of that than we did in the first half.

“First of all, they have a nice team. They are well coached. They are in the same boat as everybody else — they are trying to get healthy. They have their whole team back now, so they are going to be very dangerous.”

The Wildcats got as close as 43-42, but the Redskins were able to hold on down the stretch.

“Indian Creek is 4-0 for a reason,” Moses said. “They have won close games. Coach Dunlevy and those guys deserve credit.

“We have to continue to learn how to win. We have to look at ourselves in the mirror and we have to do a better job of understanding situational basketball. We have to know when to take it to the basket and when to pull it back out.”

Edison led 9-8 after the first quarter, and the Wildcats outscored the Redskins, 12-8, in the second to take a 21-16 lead at halftime.

Both teams play Beaver Local at home in their next game. The Redskins are scheduled to take on the Beavers Friday night, while the Wildcats will play them Tuesday night.

“Beaver Local is much improved,” Dunlevy said. “We have seen them. It is going to be like this game. It is going to be a battle.

“I want to give them credit. The Edison kids play their butts off, and Nate coaches his butt off.”

GAME NOTES

¯ Indian Creek won the JV game, 53-22. Isaiah Vandine delivered a game-high 16 points to lead the way for the Redskins. Jayden Sanders scored 12 points to lead the way for the Wildcats.

Indian Creek 48, Edison 44

Edison 9-12-9-14 — 44

Indian Creek 8-8-9-23 — 48

EDISON (1-3): Sinicropi 2 0-0 5; Easter 3 2-2 8; McAfoose 0 0-0 0; Schmitz 4 0-0 9; Scott 1 0-0 2; Kinney 1 0-0 2; McBane 3 2-2 8; Pugh 3 2-2 10. TOTALS: 17, 6-7: 44.

INDIAN CREEK (4-0): Lucas 0 0-0 0; McClurg 0 0-0 0; Allan 3 7-7 13; Norris 2 4-6 8; Eakle 6 0-1 12; Mamula 0 0-0 0; Judson 5 1-5 12; Hilderbrand 1 0-0 3. TOTALS: 17, 12-19: 48

3-POINT GOALS: Edison 4 (Pugh 2, Sinicropi, Schmitz); Indian Creek 2 (judson, Hilderbrand)

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