by Malcolm Butler
Avery Ryan scored 30 points and pulled down 21 rebounds to lead Cedar Creek to a 67-40 win over Calvary Baptist Tuesday night at The Brickhouse.
It was a game with very little drama.
As the final seconds ticked off the clock, the only real question — and drama — was whether Sophie Mariano could hit a free throw with 7.7 seconds to play to get the Lady Cougars to the magical 6-7 mark. The sophomore guard hit the front end of the two shots, igniting the younger fans in attendance.
The victory was Cedar Creek’s seventh straight as the Lady Cougars (10-6) currently sit No. 2 in the Select School Division IV power ratings, behind only defending state champion Southern Lab.
Calvary Baptist had no answer for Ryan inside.
The reigning all-LPJ Player of the Year hit 10 field goals and went a perfect 10-of-10 at the charity stripe to reach the 30-point plateau.
“Avery just pursues the basketball,” said head coach Katie Hall. “She is just fun to watch. She rebounds. She runs the floor. She is handling double teams a little better. She just competes every night when the lights come on. She just competes.”
The undersized Cavaliers competed too. However, they simply didn’t have anyone to match-up against Ryan, whose teammates found her time after time in the lane and around the rim.
Ryan scored 12 points in the opening quarter as the Lady Cougars led 14-8 and then added four more along with five from Mary Grace Hawkins in the second stanza as Creek held a 25-11 halftime advantage.
Hawkins, who has been playing mostly at the two guard recently, and point guard Caroline James did a solid job of finding their teammates throughout the contest. The duo is attempting to fill the point guard hole left by the injury to Taylor Martinez in November.
“I think our kids are getting more comfortable in the roles that they are in now,” said Hall. “As coaches, we are continuing to try to be patient with them. They continue to adjust and take steps forward.
“Mary Grace is capable of playing the point guard role, but we are putting her in her more natural position. She has more success off the ball. With Caroline’s speed, she gets the ball up the court quick. I was really proud of her court vision tonight.”
Both teams picked up scoring in the third quarter with the Lady Cougars outscoring the Lady Cavs 24-22 to extend the lead to 49-33 heading into the fourth quarter.
Ryan netted eight points, while Alivia Lee and James each scored six points during the stanza.
The final eight minutes saw Lee hit three of Creek’s four field goals, while the Lady Cougars connected on 10-of-14 at the free throw line, including 6-of-6 from Ryan.
In addition to Ryan’s 30 points, Lee and Hawkins each added 11.
Caroline Bowman led Calvary Baptist with 18 points
