For the Daily Journal
Greenwood used a big fourth quarter to pull away from Indian Creek and post a 64-52 win in girls basketball at home Tuesday.
Wearing pink uniforms in honor of breast cancer awareness, the Woodmen led only 42-41 after three quarters in a game that had seen 10 lead changes and seven ties to that point.
But Leah Moore spurred a 10-2 opening run to the final stanza, Greenwood finally got some breathing room and held on for the double-digit win.
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“It felt exactly like the last game (between the two teams), which was back and forth the whole way,” Greenwood coach Bill Torgerson said. “We shot it well and everybody had their moments. We had four people in double figures, which is probably the first time we’ve done that this season.”
The first three quarters couldn’t have been closer. The largest lead either team held over that span was a five-point edge for Greenwood late in the first quarter. The Woodmen led 17-16 after the first, Indian Creek was up 25-24 at the half and the Woodmen were back on top by one after three.
Greenwood (8-7) wasted little time finally getting some distance in the fourth. After the teams traded baskets, Bailee Taft hit a bucket and Moore scored on three straight possessions to put the Woodmen ahead 52-43.
“She was wanting to post up and we were trying to get her out on the perimeter where she would be faster,” Torgerson said of Moore. “We spread the floor a little more, and then something she can do is get a rebound and take it all the way herself.”
Indian Creek (8-7) wasn’t ready to go away, closing the gap to six (58-52) with just under two minutes to play, but three costly turnovers on consecutive possessions and a key 3-pointer by Greenwood’s Ashley Buster put the game away.
“I thought we came out with some intensity. It’s finals week and I know both teams are probably mentally drained,” Indian Creek coach Brian Ferris said. “We had that stretch in the fourth quarter where we got a little rattled and lost our composure a little bit and gave up some buckets, made some turnovers and missed some shots we probably should have made.”
Moore finished with 18 points to lead all scorers while freshman Brooklyn Stubblefield hit three 3-pointers and scored 17 points. Taft added 14 and Alex Kincaid chipped in 10.
Syndney Logsdon scored 11 points for the Braves, and Addie Rund and Hannah Grider scored 10 points each.
Greenwood returns to action Thursday with a tough test when the Woodmen host Brownsburg on Thursday. Indian Creek has over a week off before it competes in a Dec. 30 tournament at Franklin.
