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Washington Evening Journal
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Washington, IA 52353
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Raiders edge Clippers in divisional battle
Rich leads the way with 16 for the Raiders
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
TIFFIN — The season is still in its early phases, but there was plenty on the line in this WaMaC West girls’ divisional battle Friday night.
What exactly was on the line?
The driver’s seat to the divisional title.
Both Williamsburg (Class 3A No. 7) and Clear Creek Amana (4A No. 12) came into Friday night ranked, both tied atop the West.
The Raiders edged the Clippers 44-40 in a gritty, hard-fought game until the end.
“When you can beat a team that has the history CCA has and what they’ve built, it feels pretty good,” Williamsburg coach Stephanie Dacey said.
The Clippers are the defending 4A Champions, returning one starter this season. That one starter happens to be one of the state’s best — Averie Lower.
Lower came into the game fourth in 4A in scoring with over 22 points a contest.
“Averie did a great job helping those young kids through, and that’s what you got to do as one of the best players in the state,” Dacey said.
Lower was rolling early scoring the first five for the Clippers.
The Raiders went on a mini 6-0 run with three points each from Carly Rich and Zoe Allen to build a 10-5 lead, a lead the Raiders would hold for the entirety of the game.
The Raiders led 14-11 after one. Allen lead the scoring with nine.
The lead grew in the second.
Four points from Taylor Sanchez off the bench and a Kennedy Skaggs three jumped the lead to 10.
A Kennedy Stratton three cut the lead to seven under a minute to go. (Statton scored 12 points on the night.)
Rich added two free throws, and the Raiders led 27-18 at half.
The Raiders’ defense held Lower to only two points in the second.
Ava Hocker drew the main assignment of keeping on the Clippers’ star, but the Raiders also threw a lot of different hands at her, off screens and as she drove.
Hocker has put her speed to good use defensively for the Raiders all season.
“Ava did a tremendous job on her and made everything difficult,” Dacey said.
The Clippers weren’t going away without a fight though.
The Raiders scored only seven in the third, and the Clippers cut the lead to two.
Lower hit back-to-back threes and totaled nine points in the quarter.
Rich added five off a three and an offensive rebound putback.
The fourth quarter was the peak of the low-scoring, physical, defensive battle.
Skaggs started out with a three to push the lead back to five.
The Clippers cut the score to 37-36 with 6:11 remaining.
The Clippers had several chances to retake the lead, but the shots didn’t fall and the Raiders did a good job of rebounding off misses.
A Rich floater gave the Raiders a 41-38 lead with 2:55 remaining.
The score did not change until the final 24 seconds; the Raiders made just enough free throws down the stretch to hold on for the victory.
Lower led all scorers with 18. Rich had 16 for the Raiders, Allen 14.
The teams will play one another again later this season, but, for now, the Raiders now are atop the WaMaC West and control their destiny.
Their last divisional title was in 2014.
“To think back to where these seniors started with five wins, to where we are now, it feels really good,” Dacey said. “We’ve grown together, and we just want to continue to get better everyday.”
The win put the Raiders at 6-1, with four wins over ranked teams.
After a win at Washington Saturday, the Raiders are now 7-1 heading into the new year.
The Raiders’ next game will be Jan. 3 at home versus Dallas Center-Grimes.
