Whiteland’s Braylyn Clendenen puts up a shot over the outstretched arms of Indian Creek’s Lauren Foster on Tuesday.
There were times Tuesday night that Whiteland’s win streak over Indian Creek in girls basketball seemed as though it was going to continue.
The visiting Braves made sure it didn’t.
Starting at the 2:03 mark of the third quarter, Indian Creek outscored the Warriors, 30-6, over the remainder of the game on its way to a 65-48 victory in front of a spirited crowd at Glenn Ray Gymnasium.
The triumph snapped Whiteland’s seven-game win streak in the rivalry. Indian Creek’s last previous victory had been a 51-34 home decision at the Johnson County tournament early in the 2013-14 season.
Sophomore guard Lauren Foster scored a game-high 23 points to lead the Braves, while soph center Faith Wiseman finished with 13 points, 15 rebounds and a block. Savannah Hall, a junior guard, added 10 points for Indian Creek.
Coach Brian Ferris’ club trailed by a point at halftime and 42-35 late in the third stanza when it shifted into another gear.
“We talked about rebounding (at halftime). In the first half, we gave up nine offensive rebounds, and a few of them were putbacks that kept them in the game or got them the lead,” said Ferris, whose squad improved to 8-2.
“We said that we have to box out. We have to get rebounds and can’t give them second opportunities. Defensively, we talked about communication because we had some breakdowns in the first half, and (Whiteland) got some open looks. Offensively, we just needed to be patient and pick up our transition game.”
Wiseman’s old-fashioned three-point sequence began the Braves’ avalanche of points. A layup and 3-pointer from Hall put Indian Creek ahead, 43-42, at 39.9 seconds of the third, and the Braves never looked back.
Now 3-8, Whiteland was led by the 12 points of senior guard Braylyn Clendenen. Kylee Marlin added 11, as did senior backup forward Muskaan Ghuman, who led the Warriors with 10 boards.
“We’ve made a lot of strides in the right direction with playing hard and competing, especially on the defensive end,” first-year Whiteland coach Kellie Kirkhoff said. “We have to find a way to play harder, longer. I think we just have to play better basketball for longer periods of time.
“But I really am proud of our team effort. I think that we’re doing a whole lot better job of playing team basketball and playing better together.”
Foster drained a triple from the right wing with four tenths of a second remaining in the second quarter to cut the Whiteland lead to 29-28 at the half.
Trailing 17-12 early in the second stanza, the Warriors went on an 11-1 scoring run, the first two buckets courtesy of Clendenen. Sophomore Gwen Higdon contributed a pair of hoops herself and Marlin tallied three of her points over the same stretch.
Whiteland led by as many as five points on two occasions inside the final 3:54, but the Braves rallied thanks to both a layup and 3-pointer from Wiseman.
Indian Creek hosts Edgewood on Friday night and are at North Putnam on Saturday, both being 6 p.m. starts as the first games of girl-boy doubleheaders. The Warriors travel to Beech Grove on Thursday night and are at Perry Meridian on Saturday afternoon.
