Though Indian Creek had won by 29 when it played at Owen Valley two months ago, coach Brian Ferris had a feeling the return trip was going to be a bit more challenging.
Still, the Class 3A No. 5 Braves got their postseason journey started with a 44-31 victory over the host Patriots in first-round sectional action on Wednesday evening.
“You figure it’s probably not going to be as easy the second time around,” Ferris said. “Especially the first game of sectionals; we started off a little bit over-pumped and over-adrenalined, and shots that we usually knock down we weren’t getting.”
Even on an off night, the Braves had enough to survive and move on, building an 11-3 lead in the first quarter and keeping Owen Valley at bay the rest of the way. Led by a four-steal night from senior Savannah Hall, Indian Creek put forth a strong defensive effort that yielded just 18 points over the first three periods.
Offensively, Lauren Foster finished with a game-high 16 points in the win, while Ayla Lollar finished with 12. Abby Fleetwood and Faith Wiseman chipped in six points apiece, with Fleetwood also grabbing nine rebounds.
Indian Creek (24-1) will play Edgewood in a Friday night semifinal. The two teams met in December, with the Braves rolling to a 62-18 win.
Ferris expects his squad to be better prepared than it was on Wednesday.
“We talked to them tonight and reminded them of who we were,” Ferris said. “We were playing sometimes like we were the underdog, and we need to remember the positives that we’ve had all season, and build on it and just relax now. We’re in the driver’s seat, so we’ve got to be us.
“We’ve got that one practice to make some adjustments and be ready to move on.”
