by JOHN HOWLEY /sportingpumpkin.com
AMANDA — Teays Valley hit five of its first six shots and never looked back on the way to a 49-17 win at Amanda-Clearcreek Friday.
“We want to try to, if we can, set the tone quick,” TV coach Trevor Younkin said. “Tonight was a good start, I thought everyone rotated well. We talked about rotations, about getting to spots and making it difficult in the passing lanes.”
Kennedy Younkin got control of the opening tip and scored nine seconds later. Jenna Horsley followed with a three-pointer, Younkin scored again and Ashley DeWeese scored as TV connected on their first four shots. While TV missed shot five, Younkin got the rebound and then Alyssa Horsley scored to give the Vikings an 11-0 lead two-and-a-half minutes into the game.
The Aces bounced back with a basket from Hailey Sowers and a three-pointer from Sara Sharp, but the Vikings finished the quarter up 18-5.
Addy Pugh opened the second quarter hitting a three for the Aces before TV score the next 12 to lead 30-10 at the half.
“The biggest thing I wanted to do was come out and weather their storm,” AC coach Tim Leist said. “We bounced back, it was 11-5 and I thought, ‘Oh we’ve got something here,’ and the next things I know it’s 30-8.”
Leist said the Aces were looking to chisel down the Vikings’ lead to start the second half, but the Vikings would have none of that.
Jenna Horsley had 10 of her game-high 16 points in the first three minutes of the third period and a bucket from Younkin got the Vikings out in front 40-10.
“Once she gets in a rhythm, she builds that confidence and it’s hard to guard her,” coach Younkin said of Horsley. “We know we’re going to see different defenses that are going to affect her, affect Ashley DeWeese, affect Kennedy inside, we’ve just got to be ready for whatever they throw at us.
“The part I really liked in the third quarter, we worked the ball very well. We worked the ball inside, outside, wide open shots, we saw the floor,” Younkin added. “It wasn’t one of those stale moments. We found the open person and we executed.”
“She’s a great player because she’s so experienced,” Leist said. “These seniors, for them, have started since their sophomore year. I remember watching them as sophomores when they started and they went through some growing pains like we are right now. She has a high basketball IQ and she’s incredibly crafty with the ball.
“Our goal was to try and get it to single digits by the fourth quarter and that went by the way side pretty quick.”
The Vikings finished with a 30-23 rebounding edge led by Kennedy Younkin with six.
Up next
Teays Valley (5-1, 2-0) hosts Bloom-Carroll Tuesday while the Aces (2-3, 1-1) travel to Hamilton Township.
JV
Teays Valley won the reserve game 29-24.
Kayla Cline led the Vikings with 15, Sydney Manring had eight and Aimee DeWeese and Ryleigh McCoy each had three.
Emma Kern had 10 to lead the Aces. Ebby Hutchinson had five, Kaylee Roberts had four, Katie Kemmerling had three and Allie Leist had two.
Teays Valley 49, Amanda-Clearcreek 17
Teays Valley — Aimee Watson 3-0-6, Jenna Horsley 6-0-16, Aly Willard 2-0-5, Ashley DeWeese 4-1-9, Kennedy Younkin 3-0-6, Alyssa Horsley 3-0-7. Three-point goals — Jenna Horsley (4), Willard, Alyssa Horsley. Total — 21-47 1-2 49.
Amanda-Clearcreek — Megan Tooill 1-0-2, Hailey Sowers 1-1-3, Grave Davis 1-2-4, Sara Sharp 1-0-3, Addy Pugh 1-0-3, Abby Carver 1-0-2. Three-point goals — Sharp, Pugh. Total — 6-31 3-18 17,
Quarter scores 1 2 3 4 F
Teays Valley 18 12 19 0 49
Amanda-Clearcreek 5 5 2 5 17
