Circleville 40, Indian Creek 26
ZANESVILLE — Circleville clamped down on Indian Creek Friday night to secure the school’s first-ever trip to a state semifinal in basketball with a 40-26 win.
“This is just so great,” Circleville senior Maddie Blakeman said. “This is the first time in school history, on the boys or the girls, so we’re super excited, and we’re so excited to get to go play in a Final Four game. No one’s ever done it.
“We just can’t wait to see what the rest of the season’s like.”
Blakeman had Circleville’s first two baskets as they got out to a 4-1 lead in the opening two minutes, but as both teams struggled to score after that, the quarter ended with a 6-5 Circleville lead.
“A lot of times we start out very slow, and that was a goal that we did not want to have today,” Blakeman said. “I think we did an okay job. It was still not super-fast, but, those buckets, I think, really helped us get into the second quarter and to score more.”
The Tigers’ win was anchored by Addison Edgington who had 14 of her game-high 23 pints in the second half to help CHS build a cushion and she pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds.
“I think the first and second quarter, I was just speeding myself up. I needed to get control, set myself, and feel how they’re playing me,” she said. “I think after halftime, I did that, and I was able to score for my team.”
That another double-double performance from the junior seems sort of ordinary is a testament to the countless hours of hard work she’s put in considering two years ago her doctors weren’t sure to what extent she’d be able to play sports again after being severely injured in a car accident.
“I put in so much work to be where I am today. I don’t think anyone sees behind the scenes of how much work I’ve truly put in,” Edgington said. “I put in so much work, and I just want to thank God to be where I am today, my teammates, and everyone just believing in me, and knowing I can come back from my car accident, and to be here today.
“I’m just so grateful.”
With Edgington the anchor in the middle of the defense and her teammate flying around on the perimeter, the Tigers held Indian Creek well under its 49-point-per-game average. And held East District co-Player of the Year Kaydence Walker to 11 points and three rebounds after she averaged 18 and 6 in the regular season.
Other than Walker, only two other Indian Creek players scored Friday.
“We knew defense was going to be a very big key in this game,” Blakeman said. “(Walker) likes to get to the basket and she’s really good at it. And I think that Brooklyn (Cramer) and Ani (Sims-Ross) did a really good job of handling her up top.
“And we kind of played a diamond-and-one, too, and they kind of got in her head. Taking (Walker) away made it hard for them to score. So, we just kept our 2-3 zone packed in, and we did our job.”
“This defense all year, that’s what got us here,” Circleville coach Josh Blakeman said. “If we can keep going, that’s for sure what’s going to keep us going.
“We knew (Walker) was pretty good. And I told the girls that if she got 20 or 25, we could be in trouble. So, I mean, we held them to 26.”
Circleville forced the Redskins (21-6) into 16 turnovers Friday, never let them score in double figures in a quarter and held them without a field goal in the fourth.
“Our amount of deflections this year has been just off the charts,” Blakeman said. “We have multiple girls and games where Brooklyn will have 10, Maddie has 12, and Ani will have 10. Our deflections this year have been, I mean, amazing.”
The Tigers (23-4) will now prepare to play the winner of Saturday afternoon’s regional final at Bluffton University between Genoa Area (20-6) and Bellevue (27-0).
While no one would deny the Tigers had the talent to make a deep tournament run this season, it’s been a bit of an odd road as the girls have worked under three head coaches since the end of last season.
Longtime coach Brian Bigam stepped down at the beginning of the school year and former Teays Valley coach Mike Meddock was hired in September, only to need to step down for medical reasons shortly before the season was to begin.
“Getting them four days before the season — somebody else had put a bunch of stuff in, and their resiliency — it has been really amazing,” Blakeman said.
Of the Tigers’ four losses this season, one was to Logan Elm (which they beat to win the district), one was to Teays Valley (which won a Division II District title), one was to Unioto (which plays for a regional title Saturday) and the other was to Parkersburg (which is in the Elite Eight in West Virginia’s state tournament).
“We’ve been really good and defense is what’s kept us going,” Blakeman said. “So, it’s just an amazing ride. I’m glad it’s not over.”
Circleville’s Division IV state semifinal will tip at 2 p.m. in the University of Dayton Arena.
Circleville 40, Indian Creek 26
Indian Creek — Kaydence Walker 2-6-11, Gracie Wiley 1-0-3, Riley Sadler 5-2-12. Three-point goals — Walker, Wiley. Totals — 8-27 8-11 26.
Circleville — Briley Cramer 1-0-2, Maddie Blakeman 4-0-8, Juliana Sims-Ross 2-1-5, Addison Edgington 8-7-23, Mallory McConnell 1-0-2. Totals — 16-40 8-12 40.
Quarter scores 1 2 3 4 F
Indian Creek 5 9 6 6 26
Circleville 6 11 10 13 40
