WINTERSVILLE — Execution really counts in close games.

The Indian Creek boys’ basketball team executed down the stretch, while Jefferson County rival Buckeye Local did not.

The Redskins recorded 11 straight points from the end of regulation until there was less than 15 seconds left to play in overtime as the Redskins rallied past the Panthers, 49-42, in a Buckeye 8 matchup Tuesday night on Coach D Court.

“I have been proud of our effort in all four games,” veteran Indian Creek (1-3) head coach Joe Dunlevy said. “I said in the preview we have a lot of kids in new places. I thought really did a good job of taking care of the basketball late in the game, especially in overtime. We looked like a veteran team. We want to keep improving. We want to be better tomorrow than we were today.

“It is nice to get a win. It feels like a reward. It is nice win kids understand the game.”

A 3-pointer from the top of the key gave the Panthers their first lead of the game at 39-37 with 1:23 left to play in regulation. Unfortunately for the visitors, it was the last points they would score until another 3-pointer with under 15 seconds remaining in the game.

“That’s a tough one,” first-year Buckeye Local (0-4) head coach Stevie Roberts said. “We are not use to being in that position. That was evident. We were up two, but we had a turnover on a sideline play. We were not able to hang onto the ball.

“Indian Creek is well coached. We got what we expected. Coach Dunlevy does a great job. They made some play. We made some mistakes. We shot ourselves in the foot.”

The hosts were unable to convert on their following possession after the Panthers took the lead, however, the Redskins stepped it up defensively and forced a turnover with 32.6 seconds on the clock. Indian Creek inbounded the ball, and the Red-and-Gold were able to get the ball inside to Nishon White, who was able to score from in close to knot the score at 39 with 16.1 seconds remaining in regulation.

“We were able to run our offense,” Dunlevy said. “Fortunately, we were able to get the ball down to him. The kids stepped up. Late in the game, we had kids step to the foul line and make their free throws. I don’t know what we were from the line in overtime, but it had to be pretty good.

“Buckeye Local hit shots. They hit some tough shots during that stretch where they were able to comeback and take the lead.

“I am proud of our guys. I am proud of how hard they play and how hard they try. We try to teach them every day. It’s more about the mental aspect. Coach (Bobby Knight) said, ‘I have always maintained that in basketball the importance of the mental to the physical is about four to one,’ and he was right. When the kids understand the game, it is easier to coach. We will get there.”

Buckeye Local had a chance to possibly win the game, however, it committed another turnover with 8.7 seconds still showing on the scoreboard clock. The boys in white were able to get off a shot in the waning seconds, but they were unable to convert sending the game into overtime.

The boys in blue won the tip to start the overtime quarter, but they promptly committed their third straight turnover to give the ball back to Indian Creek.

Neither team was able to score for more than two minutes in overtime before White collected two points on a putback to give the home team a 41-39 lead with 1:45 left to play. The victors then went 4-for-4 from the line with the first two coming with 1:37 left to go and the second two coming with 50.5 seconds remaining in the contest.

“Indian Creek turned it up a notch,” Roberts said. “They turned it up a notch. Our execution on offense was sloppy. We played not to lose instead of playing to win. That killed us.”

The Panthers continued to struggle on the offensive end, and the home team hit 3-of-4 from the free-throw line to go up by nine with 24.1 seconds left. Hayden Wilhelm finally found the range with a 3-pointer for the Panthers, but it was too little too late as another foul shot completed the scoring.

“Our leader out there is our little point guard,” Dunlevy said. “He got some experience last year. He was our seventh man, but he got hurt. (Caden) Saffle was hurt most of the year last year. They are getting there. They are getting there the more we play.”

White tallied a game-high 25 points to lead the way offensively for Indian Creek, while Evan McGrew and Saffle each finished with nine points apiece. McGrew made 3-of-4 from free-throw line in overtime, while Saffle converted 5-of-6 from the charity stripe in the extra period.

Kyle Kirkland, Jacob Piatt and Wilhelm all tallied eight points to lead the way offensively for Buckeye Local. All told, the Panthers hit eight 3-pointers in the game, while going 12-of-15 from the line, however, Buckeye Local did miss two costly foul shots in overtime. Buckeye made just three 2-point field goals in the game.

The Redskins did not make a 3-pointer in the game, but they did make 17 2’s and went 15-of-19 from the line.

White collected 10 straight points in the first quarter as the Redskins raced out to a 12-0 lead.

“He’s a handful,” Roberts said. “He does a really good job. Their guards do a good job of getting him the ball. He has really nice hands. He is able to finish.”

Wilhelm hit a 3 to put the Panthers on the board, but Indian Creek took a 15-3 lead into the second. The Panthers began to cut unto their deficit in the second as they cut an 18-3 deficit down to 24-15 going into the locker room at halftime.

Buckeye Local kept battling in the third, and a 4-point play by Piatt pulled the Panthers to within 30-26. Another shot from beyond the arc enable the Panthers to close the gap to 32-29 entering the fourth.

The Redskins were able to hold off the hard-charging Panthers for a good bit of the fourth as White had five key points to keep Indian Creek out in front until Grant Dombroski delivered a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give Buckeye Local its only lead of the game.

“Our offensive execution picked up,” Roberts said about what enabled his name to battle back into the game and ultimately take the lead. “We started executing. We were getting good looks, but our shots were not falling. Then, in the second and third quarters, out shots started to fall. Our kids played hard.”

Indian Creek is scheduled to play Buckeye 8 rival Beaver Local Friday night on the road.

Buckeye Local is slated to play Buckeye 8 rival East Liverpool Tuesday night at home. The Potters defeated the Panthers, 64-52, Nov. 29 up at Potter Fieldhouse.

Indian Creek 49, Buckeye Local 42 OT

Buckeye Local 3 12 14 10 3 – 42

Indian Creek 15 9 8 7 10 – 49

BUCKEYE LOCAL (42): Wilhelm 2 2-2 8, Kirkland 3 0-0 8, Walker 1 4-6 6, Carothers 1 0-0 3, Morris 1 2-2 4, Wright 0 2-2 2, Jones 0 0-0 0, Piatt 2 2-3 8, Dombroski 1 0-0 3. TOTALS: 11 12-15 42.

INDIAN CREEK (1-3): Mazar 0 0-0 0, Nickell 1 0-0 2, McGrew 1 7-9 9, Pietro 0 0-0 0, Lyons 2 0-0 4, Saffle 2 5-6 9, White 11 3-4 25. TOTALS: 17 15-19 49.

3-POINTERS: Buckeye Local 8 (Wilhelm 2, Kirkland 2, Carothers, Dombroski); Indian Creek (None)