DOVER — Crawfordsville girls basketball has never been able to get over the hump of defeating county rival Southmont. After a loss in overtime of last year’s Sugar Creek Classic to the Mounties, the Athenians came into the 15th annual Sugar Creek Classic looking for revenge as they matched up against Southmont in game one at Western Boone.
The game couldn’t have started any better for the Athenians and any worse for the Mounties as Crawfordsville’s defense stifled Southmont for a quarter and a half in route to a 45-29 Athenian victory.
The first 16 points of the game belonged to the Athenians as the Mounties would get their first points of the game at the 3:27 mark of the second quarter and their first made basket at the 2:33 mark as the Crawfordsville (2-3 0-1 SAC) never trailed to move on the championship game.
“Our seniors were incredible tonight,” Crawfordsville coach Tyler Smith said. “We’ve been talking about who wants it more in big games like this and getting off to better starts. We set the tone from the beginning on the defensive end and we simply wanted it more tonight.”
On what was her 18th birthday senior Olivia Reed led her team with a game-high 19 points. Fellow senior Shea Williamson added 13 to lead the Athenians in the win.
“I haven’t been shooting well in my first three games,” Reed said. “We came in with the energy an momentum tonight and I had the confidence in myself that we could play well.”
Southmont (2-3, 0-1 SAC) will not get the chance to defend their championship from a year ago as they drop their second straight game.
DeLorean Mason led the Mounties with seven points as eight different Mounties scored a bucket. Belle Miller was second on the team with six.
“Crawfordsville came out with a lot more intensity and desire than we did,” Southmont coach Dan Burkman said. “From my perspective we didn’t play as a team, play with the intensity we needed to and nothing rolled our way because we were playing like individuals out there. We aren’t going to win games playing that way.”
The Athenians forced 28 Southmont turnovers and scored 25 points off of those turnovers. Smith credited his girls with how well they played on the defensive side of the ball.
“We’re normally a zone-style team,” he said. “we felt like we could matchup with them in man in a way that we could put a good game plan together. I know that it would eventually click with this group and we’ve seen it the last two games. We know a shooter like Olivia is bound to click and she certainly did tonight.”
Southmont will take on county rival North Montgomery tomorrow night in the consolation game at 6 p.m. with a chance to get back into the win column.
“I’m going to sit on this game a for a little bit longer,” Burkman said. “However when the time comes tomorrow for us to play, we have to be ready from the get go.”
The Athenians will get another crack at the Sugar Creek Classic title against Western Boone tomorrow night. Smith and Reed are both hoping the result is a little different than last year.
“It’s going to take more than what it did tonight if we want to win,” Reed said. “Just because it’s the championship game we’ll have to play at even higher level and keep the momentum we’ve built.”
“This is what it’s all about,” Smith added. “Part one of our goal is done and now its just a matter of finishing the task. We’ll get some rest, watch some film and be ready to go. To have the opportunity once again is awesome.”
