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Red Riders stay red hot, top Creek

WEIRTON — Lincoln Hawk turned his hat around. Anthony Santangelo changed up defenses.

The Weir boys’ basketball team tallied the first six points of the third quarter against Indian Creek, and the Red Riders recorded a 15-0 run to break the game open en route to a 53-34 victory Tuesday night on Ron “Fritz” Williams Court inside the Carl Hamill Fieldhouse.

“We changed our defense,” Santangelo — Weir’s head coach — said. “We switched everything. We sagged off. We didn’t want to get beat back door. We wanted to take away the baseline. We were able to create turnovers, and we were able to get out in transition and score.”

Weir’s 6-0 run to start the third erased its 21-17 halftime deficit, and the Red Riders 15-0 run carried over from the third into the beginning of the fourth enabling Weir (11-6) to rally from a 27-25 deficit.

“I think they were able to force turnovers, and they were able to get easy baskets,” Indian Creek (9-9) head coach Joe Dunlevy said. “That’s their game. They are really quick. That’s how they were able to build that buffer there.”

The first half was a half cout-defensive affair.

Trailing by four, the boys from Hancock County were able to pick up the pace in the third as the Red-and-Black outscored the boys from Jefferson County, 21-6, in the third to build a 38-27 advantage entering the fourth.

“We came out sleepwalking again,” Santangelo said. “You can’t do that. We have to be mentally focused. We’re tired from last week and you have the snow, but we can’t let those things bother us.”

The Redskins committed multiple turnovers in the decisive third quarter, and the hosts were also hurt by a handful of missed layups. On the other hand, the visitors got hot, and the hosts hit a couple of big 3-pointers in the quarter. The first one gave them a 28-27 lead. It was a lead the Red Riders never relinquished. The second gave the victors a double-digit advantage late in the third.

“The guys woke up,” Santangelo said. “We got good minutes from Malachi Stromile. He gave us good minutes. He was able to create some turnovers. Justin Brueck did a good job against the big guy. He had some key blocks. We played real well in the second half.”

G. Cross scored a game-high 17 points to lead the way offensively for Weir, while Da’marr Turner tallied 12.

Logan Schaffer finished with a team-high 11 points for Indian Creek, while Trevor Francis and Luca Morelli each collected eight. Francis made both of his team’s field goals in the third.

The Red Riders outscored the Redskins, 15-7, in the fourth to account for the final score.

“They played like they have been playing,” Dunlevy said. “They have been winning games, and they played that way.”

Indian Creek led 9-8 at the end of the first. The Redskins scored the final four points — all coming at three free-throw line —to take a four-point lead into the locker room at halftime.

“They do a great a job,” Santangelo said. “We want to be like them with our half court defense. They do a great job with their help-side defense and their communication. They do a good job on ball screens.

“We needed to go full court, and we needed to play fast.”

After a slow-paced first half, Weir was going to have to pick it up in the second half in order to win the game.

“That’s what we talked about at halftime,” Dunlevy said. “We said that is what was going to have to happen. We just did not handle it early on, and they were able to get right back into the game. We had some turnovers, and they turned those into easy baskets.”

The victory enabled Weir to sweep the season series from Indian Creek. The Red Riders rallied from a scoreless first quarter to defeat the Redskins, 63-53, Jan. 3 on Coach D Court.

“Tonight, everything started with our full court pressure,” Santangelo said. “We were playing half court defense. We needed to pick it up. We started to play with energy. That started the run.”

The game was the final one before Tuesday’s cutoff to qualify for the annual OVAC Tournament. The top four in each class qualify for the annual tournament. Weir entered the day in second place in the standings behind East Liverpool in Class 4A. Harrison Central was in third place, and Indian Creek was fourth.

The Huskies defeated the Potters, 71-57, Tuesday night up at Potter Fieldhouse. East Liverpool, Weir, Harrison Central and Indian Creek have all wrapped up a spot in the tournament which is scheduled to get underway Tuesday with the semifinals.

The Red Riders began the season at 1-4, however, Weir has now won 10 of its last 12 games.

“That’s a crazy turnaround,” Santangelo said. “I think the biggest thing is experience. Experience-wise, the only guys with experience were G. Cross and Da’marr Turner. We have got good team chemistry.

“We put in a new offense. The kids know the stuff about that. We just have to keep playing together at practice and in games.”

Both teams are scheduled to return to the court Friday night.

Weir is scheduled to take on rival Brooke at home before playing North Marion at 5:15 p.m. Saturday at home.

Meanwhile, Indian Creek will travel to take on Toronto inside the George J. Kunzler Memorial Gymnasium.

Weir 53, Indian Creek 34

Indian Creek 9 12 6 7 – 34

Weir 8 9 21 15 – 53

INDIAN CREEK (9-9): Francis 4 0-0 8, Kuczykowski 0 0-2 0, Morelli 3 2-2 8, Vandeborne 1 2-2 4, Tweedy 1 1-2 3, Pownall 0 0-0 0, Freshwater 0 0-0 0, Schaffer 3 5-6 11. TOTALS: 12 8-10 34.

WEIR (11-6): Cross 7 0-0 17, Lyons 2 4-6 9, Stromile 1 1-2 4, Prentice 1 2-2 4, Brueck 3 0-0 6, D. Smith 0 1-2 1, Turner 6 0-0 12, J. Smith 0 0-0 0, Jones 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 20 8-12 53.

3-POINTERS: Indian Creek (none); Weir 5 (Cross 3, Lyons, Stromile)

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