by John Howley / sportingpumpkin.com
Amanda-Clearcreek was knocking down shots from outside but it wasn’t enough to overcome Logan Elm’s inside game as the Braves opened their season with a 49-44 win over the visiting Aces.
Brynn Griffith led the way for the Braves. The 6-5 senior scored 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Senior Ashton Fox (6-1) scored a half dozen points and grabbed six rebounds herself.
“That’s going to be a matchup problem for pretty much any team we play,” Logan Elm coach John Denen said.
Griffith scored the first seven points of the second quarter to give LE its largest lead of the game at 22-12.
The Aces were able to shoot their way back into the game in the third quarter. Down nine just after the half started, Carly Singleton and Stephanie Bowers nailed three-pointers for the Aces.
After Riley Schultz (12 points, 5 rebounds) hit a three of her own for the Braves, Singleton and Bowers hit from behind the arc again to tie the game at 29-29. Those four buckets were part of a night where the Aces hit 11 three-pointers.
“We shot the ball great tonight. That’s what kept us in the game tonight was our shooting,” AC coach Tim Leist said. “Our girls battled and they did what we asked. Every time we’d make a run or when we tied it there in the third, it was a turnover. We had those untimely turnovers.”
Griffith scored the next two buckets followed by a score from Sydney Fultz to put the Braves on top to stay.
“They played so hard and shot the ball well, but their size did wear us out,” Leist said, “especially in the fourth quarter.”
The Braves outrebounded the Aces 42-28 in the contest, including having a 21-9 advantage in the middle two quarters.
“In the second and the third quarter we cleaned it up and got a little fatigued in the fourth quarter,” Denen said of his team’s rebounding efforts. “We looked to see where the ball was and didn’t react and go get the ball. Amanda is really scrappy and we’ve got to do a better job of going to get the ball.”
Freshman Grace Davis led AC’s rebounding efforts pulling down 12.
Sophomore Anna Johnson grabbed eight for the Braves.
The Braves have little time to enjoy the win as they play Westfall tomorrow.
• Amanda-Clearcreek was a 26-18 winner in the JV game behind 16 points from Addie Pugh.
Emma Sloan added six for the Aces while Rachel Weaver and Hailey Sowers each had two.
Camryn Ross led the Braves with 10 points while Clara Wilson and Bree Williams each had four.
Logan Elm 49, Amanda-Clearcreek 44
Amanda-Clearcreek — Carly Singleton 3-0-9, Emily Buckley 2-1-7, Megan Tooill 3-1-9, Stephanie Bowers 4-0-12, Grace Davis 2-2-7. Three-point goals — Singleton (3), Buckley (2), Toill, Bowers (4), Davis. Total — 14-63 5-12 44.
Logan Elm — Josie Martin 1-0-2, Riley Schultz 4-2-12, Annie Karshner 1-1-4, Sydney Fultz 2-0-4, Anna Johnson 1-0-2, Ashton Fox 3-0-6, Brynn Griffith 9-1-19 Three-point goals — Schultz (2), Karshner. Total — 21-50 4-5 49.
Quarter scores 1 2 3 4 F
Amanda-Clearcreek 12 5 15 12 44
Logan Elm 15 9 15 10 49