Clear Creek Amana Locks Down on Defense in Win Over Marion
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
TIFFIN – Clear Creek Amana shot 37 percent from the field and made one of 11 three-point attempts on Tuesday.
The Clippers scored just two points in the opening six and half minutes of the second quarter and went nearly four minutes without a point in the third quarter.
Oh and by the way Clear Creek Amana still defeated WAMAC East Division-leading Marion by six points.
How?
Simple. The Clippers can guard.
They can really, really guard.
“We have really started to buckle down on it just the cliché of defense wins ball games,” Clear Creek Amana sophomore Bliss Beck said. “We know if we can hold teams down on defense it gives us a great chance to win games and we really have done a great job of getting our defense down the last few games.”
Class 4A No. 15 Clear Creek Amana was impressive on the defensive end from the opening tip on Tuesday, holding Marion to 31 percent shooting in a 43-37 win over the Wolves in a WAMAC cross-divisional contest in Tiffin.
The win was the seventh straight for Clear Creek Amana (13-5, 12-4) which has won 12 of its last 13 games since a 1-4 start.
Clear Creek Amana allowed 61.4 points per game over the opening five games but has locked down on defense since, holding opponents to 33.8 points per game over the last 13 games.
“We started off 1-4 and we were playing a lot of zone, we were doing a 1-3-1 and a 2-3 and I kind of had to shake things up a little bit and decided to go a little more player-to-player and the kids have just bought in tremendously and made huge strides over the last two months,” Clear Creek Amana coach PJ Sweeney said. “That’s been the reason for the turnaround is our defense.”
Clear Creek Amana was dynamite defensively on Tuesday.
The 37 points was the second lowest scoring output of the season for Marion which scored 32 in a loss to Center Point-Urbana on Friday.
Marion entered averaging better than 52 points per game but couldn’t get on track against the Clippers.
Clear Creek Amana closed the first quarter on an 8-2 run to take a 14-6 lead and scored the final six points of the second quarter to build a 22-10 halftime lead.
“I think we were really good, especially the first half with just one foul we kept them off the free throw line,” Clear Creek Amana sophomore Ava Locklear said. “I think that just set the tone early for the rest of the game.”
Clear Creek Amana pressure the ball leading to 14 Marion turnovers.
The Clippers jumped passing lanes, turning several steals into transition layups.
When Marion did get into the lane Locklear and Beck took turns blocking or altering shots.
We were able to get some steals and that helps us get some offense and our defense just sets the tone for the whole game,” Locklear said. “If we have a lot of energy on defense it helps us on offense too.”
Clear Creek Amana held Marion scoreless over the final 2:45 of the first half while taking control of the game.
The Clippers scored twice in the final 14 seconds of the first half, on a Reese Stockman driving layup and a steal and layup by Locklear with two seconds left.
“When you hold a team the caliber of Marion to 10 points in the first half you know what you are doing something, you are doing something,” Sweeney said. “They have shooters, they have a good post so we are doing something right.”
Marion got as close as five points in the fourth quarter but sophomore Kaylee Stratton hit four consecutive free throws in the final 49 seconds to put the game away.
Locklear and Beck provided all the offense Clear Creek Amana would need combining for 30 points on 12-of-21 shooting.
“We always have a mismatch every single night with one of our posts,” Sweeney said. “Every night, whether it’s Bliss one night or Ava another night, whoever it is has a mismatch. We are looking to push the ball but if we don’t have anything we want to pound the ball inside.”
Locklear had a game-high 16 points and nine rebounds while Beck had a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
“It’s definitely a reassurance if we are having trouble scoring that our defense will back us up,” Beck said. “Our defense was great tonight and our offense was good when we needed it.”
Sadie Struchen had 11 points to lead Marion as the Wolves finished 15-of-49 from the field and 4-of-16 from three-point range.
Marion 6 4 13 14 – 37
Clear Creek Amana 14 8 9 12 – 43
Marion (37) – Ava Attwood 2-15 1-4 5, Regan Rice 1-4 2-2 5, Jenna Heinricy 1-1 0-0 2, Molly Dunne 0-1 0-2 0, Sadie Struchen 4-11 0-0 11, Ella Bockenstedt 2-5 0-0 4, Mila Van Weelden 3-10 0-0 6, Madeline Pavelka 2-2 0-0 4, Totals 15-49 3-8 37.
Clear Creek Amana (43) – Kaylee Stratton 0-2 4-4 4, Kalin Rotzoll 1-4 0-0 3, Sam Schrage 1-6 0-0 2, Olivia Miller 1-4 0-1 2, Bliss Beck 5-11 4-8 14, Reese Stockman 1-6 0-0 2, Ava Locklear 7-10 2-3 16, Totals 16-43 10-16 43.
Three-point field goals – CCA 1-11 (Rotzoll 1-4, Schrage 0-3, Miller 0-2, Stockman 0-2), MAR 4-16 (Attwood 0-2, Rice 1-2, Dunne 0-1, Struchen 3-10, Van Weelden 0-1). Rebounds – CCA 35 (Beck 12), MAR 33 (Bockenstedt 9). Turnovers – CCA 13, MAR 14. Total fouls – CCA 6, MAR 16. Fouled out – MAR (Attwood). Technical fouls – None.
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