Senior night spark

Creston’s veteran girls basketball lineup was not going to be denied on their senior night.

Clarke came to Creston Monday with a 2-15 record, losing top scorer Maisy McCoy (14.4 average) to an ankle injury Friday’s loss at Centerville. In that game, the Indians were 0-for-22 from behind the 3-point stripe.

Monday’s game was an upset in the making, however, as Clarke had the Panthers in a hole multiple times by making 10 3-pointers, including four of them banked. Creston was not having a good shooting night from the field (31.%), so on a hot night the Indians were showing to be anything but a walk in the park for the Panthers on their big night.

Creston found its own 3-point shooting range in the second quarter to take a 21-14 halftime lead, and extended it to 12 points at 33-21.

That’s when Clarke answered with its biggest barrage of 3-pointers, including five by freshman Libby Winter, to lead Creston by six points (50-44) with 2:28 left in the game. The Panthers scrapped their way back into a 52-52 tie with eight seconds left as Ella Turner drove across the lane for a lay-in on the right side.

“When Ella made that game-tying basket to send it to overtime, that was the loudest that I’ve heard our gym in the eight years since I’ve been at Creston,” Panther coach Tony Neubauer said. “The atmosphere was absolutely amazing.”

In overtime, Clarke bolted to an early advantage (57-52) before the Panthers came storming back again with a 12-2 run to end the game for a 64-59 victory. The Panthers improved to 9-9, with the nine wins already standing in a tie for the ninth-best victories in school five-player history.

Senior guard Kadley Bailey scored 24 points to lead the Panthers. Bailey made two 3-pointers, joining Kate McKim and Brielle Baker as the only Creston players to surpass 100 career 3-pointers.

Seniors honored with their parents prior to the game were Hollynn Rieck, Braylee Pokorny, Brynn Tussey, Turner, Bailey and manager Avery Lovely. Those seniors and sophomores Jensan Tussey and Marlee Stalker have been the varsity mainstays this season.

“Our growth over the years won this basketball game,” Neubauer said. “Two years ago, or even last year, we probably don’t make those plays down the stretch. Both in volleyball and basketball, these seniors got thrown to the wolves pretty fast and went through some rough seasons. Tonight was Ella’s 71st start. Hollynn, Kadley and Brynn are in the 60s. Braylee has played a lot. We had composure tonight after being in so many battles.”

Early drought

Creston didn’t score until Turner pump-faked and popped a short jumper in the lane to cut into Clarke’s 6-0 lead with four minutes elapsed in the game. It would prove to be an omen of things to come for Turner, who had one of her best performances — 20 points, seven rebounds and four steals.

Creston seemed to be on its way to a comfortable win when Brynn Tussey’s jumper near the free throw line sank for a 33-21 lead five minutes into the third quarter. Clarke fought back with free throws and successive 3-pointers by Winter to close it to 36-33 by the end of the period.

Reese Shaw connected from 3-point range to push Clarke into a 38-36 lead early in the fourth quarter. By the 2:28 mark the gap was 50-44, but some of Clarke’s 29 turnovers gave the Panthers extra possessions that proved valuable in a comeback.

Both Tussey sisters had steals after Brynn’s basket at 1:58 pulled the Panthers within three at 50-47.

Reagan Fry, who led the Indians with 24 points, sank a free throw with 35 seconds left to make it a two-possession game (51-47). Turner hit a critical 3-pointer to close it to 50-50 with 24.8 seconds left.

Fry made the first of two free throws and Turner rebounded the miss on the second. Creston advanced the ball into scoring range quickly and Turner took it from the left wing across the lane to lay it in from the right block to tie it at 52-52 with :08 left. Creston didn’t foul and Clarke wasn’t able to get a good shot attempt before the buzzer.

Overtime rally

The Indians controlled the early portion of the overtime, taking a 57-52 lead. Creston’s comeback started with a free throw by Bailey, who then converted a steal into a layup and free throw opportunity as she drove through contact.

Creston’s transition game was rolling, with Turner assisting a layup by Bailey that put the Panthers in front 58-57. With :56 left Turner’s layup made it a three-point lead (60-57).

Clarke’s Fry drove the lane to pull within 60-59. Turner left the game with an injury and Rieck was fouled with 19 seconds left. She converted both for a 62-59 Panther lead. Clarke had to foul after two straight turnovers and Rieck finished off the scoring with two more clutch free throws.

“That’s growth for Hollynn,” Neubauer said. “In the past she may have deferred to Kadley in that situation. She was controlling the game and willing to step up to the line. It was a gritty win. I think we missed our first seven shots in the game. They kept making plays down the stretch. I’m proud of those kids.”

Creston hosts 10-8 Earlham in a girl-boy doubleheader Thursday night.

CLARKE (59) — Totals — (FG FT PTS) 18 13-16 59. Reagan Fry 6 12-14 24, Libby Winter 5 0-0 15, Reese Shaw 3 0-0 9, Miah Graves 3 1-2 7, Emilee Boyd 2 0-0 4. FG shooting — 18-53 (33.9 percent). 3-point goals — 10-31 (Winter 5, Shaw 3, Graves 2). Steals — 10 (Fry 5, Shaw 3). Rebounds — 37 (Fry 18, Shaw 8). Assists — 8 (Fry 5, Graves 2). Turnovers — 29. Team fouls — 19. Fouled out — Graves.

CRESTON (64) — Totals — (FG FT PTS) 23 12-19 64. Kadley Bailey 8 6-7 24, Ella Turner 8 2-4 20, Hollynn Rieck 2 4-8 10, Brynn Tussey 3 0-0 6, Braylee Pokorny 2 0-0 4. FG shooting — 23-72 (31.9 percent). 3-point goals — 6-18 (Bailey 2, Rieck 2, Turner 2). Rebounds — 27 (Turner 7, B. Tussey 7, Rieck 5, Bailey 3). Assists — 10 (Rieck 3, Turner 3, Bailey 2). Steals — 22 (Bailey 9, Rieck 4, Turner 4, B. Tussey 2, Jensan Tussey 2). Turnovers — 14. Team fouls — 14. Fouled out — None.