Demons get ‘biggest win’

WASHINGTON - Saturday's 64-58 win over visiting Clear Creek-Amana was a milestone for Washington head boys basketball coach Collin Stark. Playing for postseason seeding and in the same pod with CCA, the game had increased significance.

'In my tenure, I think this is our biggest win,” Stark said.

Last year, the Demons were ahead by nine points in the fourth quarter at Clear Creek-Amana and lost to some clutch shooting by the Clippers, giving CCA head coach Brandon Clubb his 200th win. Saturday, Ethan Patterson provided the clutch shooting, going 4-for-4 at the free-throw line, Travis Leyden stepped up his offense with early 3-pointers, scoring 14 points and Lance Sobaski had a double-double.

'With Kasen (Bailey) out, I have to get some shots up, pass the ball and be a good teammate,” said Leyden, whose defense has always been a strong point. 'Getting in a rhythm helps and Kasen has helped me with my shooting.”

The Washington girls gave the visiting Clippers a scare in the first half, trailing 9-7 and 19-13 after the first two quarters but it was 34-21 after three and ended 44-28 for CCA.

Anna Nacos' hustle led the way for Washington and Alex Murphy has made strides in her offense.

'Anna is an example of what Washington girls basketball is all about,” head coach Shannon Rugg said. 'We just play hard no matter the score. I keep seeing glimpses of our potential and the glimpses get longer and longer.”

There are more players glimmering than earlier in the season. 'When we can get all five on the same line, we're going to get them all to glimmer at the same time,” Rugg said.

Washington held Fort Madison's Malarie Ross to 10 points in Friday's 48-18 home loss.

'We had two good first halves,” Rugg said. 'The girls seemed more relaxed, more confident (Saturday) than I have seen them in the past.”

Washington lost to Fort Madison Friday while CCA had its game canceled.

'We were gassed, but we were able to rise up,” Stark said. 'I just felt like we didn't have the energy we needed against Fort Madison, but this makes me feel a lot better.”

CCA trailed 41-27 and closed to 53-50 with Washington in foul trouble.

'We took advantages of the lineups they had in there,” Clubb said. 'We started attacking, which we didn't do in the first half because their zone frustrated us.”

Patterson put up 18 points, took down eight rebounds and handed out six assists with two steals. Sobaski had 10 points and 10 rebounds and four assists while Trashaun Willis produced nine points, six rebounds and three assists.

'It's about instincts and hustle, reading the ball and try to be the first one to get to it,” Sobaski said of his rebounding, which is the fourth best total in the Southeast Conference.

The Demons have two weeks to home in on their accomplishments as well as iron out a few things that Fort Madison was able to take advantage.