BIG SHOT — Indian Creek’s Gracie Wiley, Riley Sadler, Gracie Klinesmith and Kaydence Walker react after Gabby Taylor sunk a half-court 3-pointer at the first half buzzer. - Andrew Grimm

While Indian Creek head coach Steve Eft was the first to admit his team did not have its best in Wednesday’s Division IV East District semifinal, the end result was another trip to the district championship.

The Redskins came up with enough key plays down the stretch to fend off a pesky Zanesville Maysville club inside the Buckeye Trail High School gym for a 51-40 victory.

“It wasn’t the prettiest game for us,” Eft said. “We didn’t quite have our ‘A’ game I don’t think. But, the girls kept on battling. It was a physical game and they just kept working hard. We had the next play mentality, which is what we stress — forget about the last play and make the next one.

“I’m just really proud of the way we battled and grinded this one out.”

Indian Creek’s Kaydence Walker goes up for a layup during Wednesday’s district semifinal. - Andrew Grimm

While Creek (19-5) turned the ball over 13 times and shot just 39.6 percent overall, their makes came at key times down the stretch. Every time the Panthers (10-14) would close the gap — including have it down to six late in the fourth quarter — Creek would go the other way and get a bucket.

Creek also went 5 of 6 from the foul line in the fourth quarter to help put things away.

“It was a lot of ups and downs, but when push came to shove we made the plays we needed to get the win,” Eft added. “They started making shots in the second half, but we had some big answers the other way, got some big stops.

“It was a great effort by the girls, they earned this one.”

While maybe it wasn’t the team’s best showing, Riley Sadler certainly had a big game individually for the Redskins. She netted a game-high 17 points, pulled down 14 rebounds, had two blocks an assist and a steal.

Creek’s Riley Sadler pulls up to let a shot go. - Andrew Grimm

Kaydence Walker followed with 14 points and nine boards to go with three assists, three steals and a block. Gracie Klinesmith netted 11 points and grabbed six rebounds to make it a trio in double digits.

Creek led 14-9 after one, rattling off seven in a row after the game was knotted up early on. That lead grew to double figures in the second, then Gabby Taylor (five points and a team-high four assists) swished a 3 from half court as time expired to make it a 13-point halftime lead.

Throughout the second and for much of the third, however, the Panthers clawed back into it. Maysville got within seven in the second, but Creek pushed back ahead by 11 going to the fourth quarter.

The deficit was cut to seven again in the fourth and got as low as six with three minutes to play, but Creek didn’t let it get any closer and took advantage at the line when Maysville had to foul.

UP NEXT

Indian Creek is in the district final for the third time in the last four years and will face No. 10 seed Indian Valley (8-16) in the district final on Saturday at Harrison Central High School. The Braves upset No. 3 seed Philo, 33-31, in the other semifinal on Wednesday.

“We’re going back to the district final, we’ll probably start watching film on the long bus ride home and get ready for Saturday,” Eft said. “It’s been a nice run of getting to the district final, hopefully we keep it going and get another district trophy.”

OHSAA Division IV

East 1 District semifinal

At Buckeye Trail High School

No. 2 Indian Creek 51,

No. 7 Zanesville Maysville 40

ZM 9-5-13-13 — 40

IC 14-13-11-13 — 51

MAYSVILLE (10-14): Fulkerson 2-11 1-2 6; Jones 4-5 1-2 9; Daniels 6-19 0-0 16; Martin 2-12 0-4 4; Van Wey 1-4 0-0 2; Gundelfinger 0-1 1-2 1; Toler 0-0 0-0 0; Dennis 0-2 2-2 2; Carter 0-1 0-0 0; Essay 0-1 0-0 0. TOTALS: 15-55, 5-12; 40.

INDIAN CREEK (19-5): Walker 5-11 4-6 14; Taylor 2-5 0-0 5; Wiley 0-2 2-2 2; Sadler 7-14 3-4 17; Klinesmith 4-14 2-4 11; Crouch 1-1 0-0 2; Leach 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 19-46, 11-16; 51.

3-POINTERS: Maysville 5-20 (Daniels 4, Fulkerson); Indian Creek 2-11 (Taylor, Klinesmith). ASSISTS: Maysville 10 (Jones 4); Indian Creek 12 (Taylor 4). REBOUNDS: Maysville 20 (Martin 6); Indian Creek 33 (Sadler 14). STEALS: Maysville 3 (Jones 2); Indian Creek 6 (Walker 3). BLOCKS: Maysville 3 (Daniels 2); Indian Creek 3 (Sadler 2). TURNOVERS: Maysville 10; Indian Creek 13.