Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

TIFFIN – By his own admission perimeter jump shooting isn’t a primary responsibility for Christian Withrow in the Clear Creek Amana offensive game plan.

When Withrow does shoot the ball from deep the way he did against Williamsburg on Tuesday there simply isn’t a lot that can be done to stop the senior forward or the Clippers.

Withrow surpassed his season total for 3-pointers with six and poured in a career-high 36 points as Clear Creek Amana (10-2) stretched its winning streak to nine with 90-76 win over Williamsburg (5-8) in a WAMAC West Division tilt in Tiffin.

“If he’s hitting the jumper, especially the threes like he was tonight I don’t know what you do with him, he’s almost unguardable,” Clear Creek Amana coach Brandon Clubb said of Withrow. “When he shoots the ball like that from the perimeter with the way he can get to the basket there isn’t a lot you can do.”

Withrow entered 4-of-14 from 3-point range on the season but hit two triples in the first five minutes of the game and finished 6-of-6 from beyond the arc.

The 6-foot-2 Withrow was almost unstoppable on Tuesday, connecting on 14-of-18 field goal attempts highlighted by his perfect performance from 3-point range.

“For the most part shooting threes isn’t my job on the team that’s more for the guards,” Withrow said. “So, it was nice to come out and showcase something that I don’t normally do a lot.”

Led by Withrow, Clear Creek Amana has become one of the best offensive teams in Class 3A over the past two seasons.

With Withrow leading the way the Clippers were at their free flowing, fast-paced, high scoring best on Tuesday.

Clear Creek Amana shot an eye-popping 72 percent from the field, had four players in double figures and went 8-of-12 from 3-point range while putting up a season-high 90 points.

“It’s just our team chemistry, all of the guys that are playing we’ve been play ball in our backyards, in driveways, in streets and AAU for who knows how long,” Withrow said. “We all know how people play, we know where they are going to be.”

Clear Creek Amana never trailed on Tuesday while completing the season sweep of Williamsburg and winning for the sixth time in the last seven games against its rivals to the west.

The Clippers snapped a 9-all tie with a 7-0 run that started with a Withrow 3-pointer and closed the first quarter on a 5-0 burst capped by a Withrow put back with 11 seconds left.

Withrow hit a pair of 3-pointers in the opening two minutes of the second quarter as Clear Creek Amana quickly stretched the lead to 31-17.

“Christian came out really hot so I knew it was my job to get him the ball,” said Clear Creek Amana senior point guard Mike Potter who finished with 13 assists. “I was just making sure I got him the ball and he took care of the rest.”

Withrow had 22 of his 36 points in the opening half and Clear Creek Amana shot a stagger 79 percent from the field in the first two quarters while building an insurmountable 52-30 halftime edge.

Clear Creek Amana made 22-of-28 field goals including 6-of-8 3-pointers during the 52-point first half.

“We are fun to watch, we obviously played really well offensively tonight,” Clubb said. “They are playing unselfish, they know where guys are going to be before they get there, they make the extra pass they don’t care who makes the shot they just want to score.”

Williamsburg made it interesting after the half, cutting the lead to 63-53 with a 16-2 run but could never get the Clipper lead into single digits.

Brock Reade and Ben Swails each had 18 points while Ryan Navara added 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting.

Reade, Swails and Navara combined to made 21-of-25 field goal attempts.

“There is no reason why our starting five can’t all be in double digits the way we move the ball, the way we drive and dish and the way we get each other open with screens and pushing the pace,” Withrow said. “That’s our goal every night.”

Jake Weber led Williamsburg with 19 points while Marshall Meyer had 13 and Will DeSmet had 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Raiders.

Clear Creek Amana              23  29  18  20  –  90

Williamsburg                          15  15  28  18  –  76 

Clear Creek Amana (90) – Brock Reade 8-11 2-2 18, Kyle Schrepfer 0-3 2-3 2, Ben Swails 8-9 0-0 18, Christian Withrow 14-18 2-4 36, Mike Potter 1-4 4-6 6, Ryan Navara 5-5 0-0 10, Totals 36-50 10-15 90.

Williamsburg (76) – Jake Weber 7-10 3-3 19, Kobe Julius 2-5 0-0 4, Marshall Meyer 4-6 2-2 13, Levi Weldon 2-6 1-2 5, Ethan Harman 3-4 0-0 6, Madox Doehrmann 1-5 0-0 3, Tanner Curtin 4-6 0-0 9, Trey O’Neil 2-4 2-3 7, Will DeSmet 5-9 0-0 10, Totals 30-55 8-10 76.

3-point field goals – CCA 8-12 (Schrepfer 0-3, Swails 2-3, Withrow 6-6), WIL 8-20 (Weber 2-4, Julius 0-2, Meyer 3-4, Doehrman 1-4, Curtin 1-3, O’Neil 1-3). Rebounds – CCA 23 (Potter 7), WIL 20 (DeSmet 12). Turnovers – CCA 10, WIL 14. Total fouls – CCA 13, WIL 15. Fouled out – WIL (Weldon). Technical fouls – None.

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