Creek starts fast, pulls away to top St. C
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WINTERSVILLE -- Indian Creek started slow in its win Monday against Harrison Central and head coach Steve Eft hoped his team didn't repeat that performance Thursday when St. Clairsville came calling in Wintersville.
Eight minutes in and Eft had his answer.
Playing down a starter, the Redskins rolled through St. C. early, taking a 21-6 lead after one behind nine first-quarter points from Kylie Anderson.
"I wasn't happy with the way we started at Harrison and we wanted to focus on our start (Thursday)," Eft said as his team improved to 6-1 with road dates at Beaver Local and Union Local looming next week.
The Red Devils (1-5) were coming off their first win of the season, a 58-44 triumph against the Beavers at St. Clairsville.
During that game, St. C. lost the services of senior leader Makenna Moran to a foot injury. Moran will be out the next 4-6 weeks as she recovers and sat on the bench in a walking boot Thursday. Her leadership and experience were sorely missed.
"She had reconstructive surgery and missed the summer, then came back this season and got hurt Monday during our game against Beaver," St. C. head coach Stacey Agnew noted. "I'm not sure how much she would have helped, but her presence certainly would have."
Agnew admitted that even with Moran, his team was a bit outmatched.
The Red Devils dressed eight for varsity. Without Moran, the roster consists of primarily sophomores and freshmen, coupled with a trio of juniors.
Creek meanwhile is an experienced, talented team with many scoring options, even with the absence of regular starter Tori Robertson.
"They are good. That's a nice team, from top bottom, and is likely the best that we'll play," Agnew complimented. "They pass well, play together well and are just a real good team. I wouldn't be surprised to see them in the regional.
"They are that kind of team."
Creek's lead ballooned to 37-8 at the break as the Devils managed only a Kesslee Barrera bucket in the second quarter.
Barrera finished with 10 points, with no other St. C. player scoring more than three points.
Creek, meanwhile, was a model of efficiency -- forcing turnovers, contesting shots, grabbing rebounds and spreading the wealth offensively.
Anderson led the way with 15, but Eft's club featured six players with at least seven points. Emma Westfall totaled 11 off the bench, McKenna Scott and Camryn Ketron scored eight apiece and Riley Sadler and Bella Allen evenly split 14. Allen's entire total came during the fourth quarter.
"We had a starter out, but the other girls stepped up and I'm happy we got contributions from everbody. Everyone played their roll and stepped up," Eft lauded.
Indian Creek 61, St. Clairsville 17
S - Powell 1 1-2 3; Druzin 0 0-0 0; Kain 1 0-0 3; Kyer 0 0-0 0; Barrera 3 2-2 10; Sall 0 1-2 1; Monteroso 0 0-0 0; Totals: 5 4-6 17.
I - Scott 4 0-0 8; Taylor 2 1-2 5; Sadler 3 0-0 7; Westfall 4 3-4 11; Ketron 4 0-0 8; Anderson 7 1-1 15; Allen 3 1-4 7; Wiley 0 0-0 0; Totals: 27 6-11 61.
3-point Goals: Barrera 2, Kain.