St. Clairsville, Ohio– Big-time players make big-time plays. St Clairsville junior Tyson Pastor scored 18 points in the second half to spark a Red Devils comeback. The now (4-3) Red Devils celebrated their first win on John Jenkins Court this season 69-63. St. Clairsville outscored the Redskins 27-9 in the third quarter and did not look back. The Redskins had some big-time players in this game as well. They dominated the boards in the first quarter, outrebounding St Clairsville 11-3. Super sophomore Byrson Kamarec and senior Noah Tweedy led the charge on the boards in the first quarter for the Redskins. Indian Creek had a 14-point lead at halftime but could not stop the Red Devils in the second half. Red Devils Head Coach Ryan Clifford commented, “I loved the effort and energy we played with in the third quarter, but it shouldn’t take us being down 14 to do it. However, I see it as a sign that we are maturing as a team and that we were able to pull off the victory after halftime.” The Red Devils couldn’t find their touch in the first few minutes of the contest. St Clairsville shot 0 for 4 to begin the game but then responded with four straight points.
With St Clairsville leading 4-2, Indian Creek turned up the heat on defense, forcing a few Red Devil turnovers. The Redskins went on a 7-0 run to make it 9-4. The Red Devils started to make a comeback but Indian Creek held on for a 12-9 advantage at the end of the first quarter. After each team was able to find the scoreboard early, the Redskins gained another significant advantage and forced a St. Clairsville timeout with 5:14 to go in the second quarter. Indian Creek led 21-13 at this point and outscored St Clairsville 10-5 over the next three minutes and the Red Devils burned another timeout. Caleb Bodo scored ten points in the first half to give his team a 38-24 lead at the break. Indian Creek was shooting the lights out of John Jenkins court in the first half. They were 17-25 for a 68% shooting percentage. St Clairsville struggled shooting only 34%. “We had good looks. Cole makes those shots, Tyson makes those shots, we had some good looks and we work on those things in practice. When those shots aren’t going in, we tell them to try something different and find a different way to the basket.”
The third quarter belonged to St Clairsville who exploded out of the gates with a 5-0 run to begin the quarter. Indian Creek was able to respond and hold the lead momentarily but Creek Head Coach Joe Dunlevy was forced to take a timeout with his team still leading 45-36 with 3:02 remaining in the quarter. Right out of the timeout however, the Redskins couldn’t get the ball inbounded and St. Clairsville took over possession and the half. St Clairsville outscored Indian Creek 15-2 in the final three minutes to take a 51-47 lead at the end of three.
Indian Creek would begin to close the gap late in the fourth quarter. Coach Clifford called another timeout with 3:34 to go and his team was up 60-52. Indian Creek went on an 8-3 run thanks to Drake Freshwater’s three-pointer to make it 63-60, still in favor of the host Red Devils. Coach Dunlevy called a timeout of his own with 52 seconds to go in the final frame. Indian Creek was forced to foul but made one late three. It wasn’t enough however for the Redskins as they fell to (1-4) on the season.
Pastor led all scorers on the night with 29 points. He also shot 10-17 from the floor, pulled down six rebounds, and blocked two shots. Senior Cole Thoburn was all over the court on this night. He collected 21 points, five rebounds, five steals, a block and an assist. Junior Brady Schafer had 12 points, two steals, two assists, a block, and a rebound. Drew Gasber pulled down three rebounds and had seven points. “We didn’t have the energy or the effort in the first half. We played with different energy and effort in the second half. We feel we have a pretty good advantage playing here at home, we feel it’s one of the toughest places to play in the Ohio Valley. Our students and fans are awesome, “explained Coach Clifford.
Kamarec led his team in points and rebounds with 15 points and six rebounds respectively. He also added three assists and three steals. Caleb Bodo finished up with 13 points, two assists, and a steal. Tweedy had a great night with six rebounds, three points, and an assist. Mason Lester collected 11 points, two blocks, a rebound, and an assist. Freshwater finished with five points and a rebound. Rounding out the scoring for the Creek was Nick Eddy with four points, a rebound, and a steal.
Both teams will get to enjoy the friendly confines of their home courts on Tuesday. St Clairsville takes on rival Harrison Central as Indian Creek will host Beaver Local.
Photo by Kayla Crum
Story by Chris Thoburn
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