It wasn’t the 43-point beatdown that December’s meeting was, but Indian Creek will take it nonetheless.
Lauren Foster scored 18 points on perfect 8-for-8 shooting from the floor to help the Class 3A No. 6 Braves get past Edgewood, 52-35, at Owen Valley on Saturday evening to claim a fourth consecutive sectional title.
Indian Creek (21-4) — which will meet Bishop Chatard in a regional this coming Saturday at Greencastle — was happy to keep its season alive through a grueling sectional stretch against three familiar Western Indiana Conference opponents.
“The Northview game (a 40-31 semifinal win on Friday) was very physical and mentally draining,” Braves coach Brian Ferris said. “Three games in four days was a bunch this week with all the hype behind it and the pressure of the sectionals and repeats, so it took us a little bit to get rolling (against Edgewood).”
The Braves beat the Mustangs in a 78-35 laugher in mid-December, but they pulled away far more gradually in the rematch, holding a slim 10-9 lead after the first quarter and going into the half up 25-18.
Faith Wiseman, who finished the night with 14 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots, scored nine in the third quarter to help Creek stretch out to a more comfortable 42-26 advantage.
“We decided to work it around and get some post touches, and things started falling and we got some transition going finally,” Ferris said.
Jasmine Day added 11 points, four assists and four steals in the win.
Ferris expects his team to get an emotional lift from facing a less familiar foe in the regional, as well as the return of starting guard Ayla Lollar, who has been out for the last seven games with a buccal fracture in her shooting arm but will be ready to come back against Chatard.
“Definitely a spark on both ends of the floor,” Ferris said of Lollar. “It gives us another really tenacious defender and another ballhandler and scoring option. It’s good to get her back.”
