Salow?s shooting sparks Demon win

After leading the team in scoring a season ago, Washington senior Amber Salow has seen her role change this season.

However, she reminded everyone on Tuesday night that she can still put up a big scoring night when her team needs it.

?I didn?t really have a doubt in my mind,? Salow said. ?I knew the ball was going to go in. I just believed in myself. I?ve had some struggle with that this season and had some doubt. Tonight, none of that was in my head.?

Salow knocked down five 3-pointers en route to scoring 19 points, as the Demons claimed a 47-34 conference victory over Fort Madison.

The win improved the Demons to 4-5 (1-2 in conference play) and marked the first conference victory since February 2014.

?It helps us because it?s our first conference win,? Salow said. ?It?s been a while since we?ve won a conference game, so it boosts our confidence a lot. We are looking forward to Mt. Pleasant. We need to keep our intensity going into this game.?

Behind Salow?s big scoring night, the senior also notched three rebounds and two assists, while sophomore Sarah Nacos notched 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the contest.

Senior Addie Pacha noched seven points and seven rebounds in the contest.

The game started slowly for both offenses, as both teams combined for three field goals in the first quarter.

The lone Demon bucket in the opening period came from a Salow 3-pointer, as they trailed 6-3 after eight minutes.

?That?s (Fort Madison?s) style of play,? Washington head coach Jordan Bentley said. ?I think they held that first possession for about three minutes, and that won?t allow us to run. We didn?t rotate and give enough pressure, so it allowed them to pass it around.?

Things moved a little faster in the second quarter, as Washington rallied to tie the game up at 10. A 7-0 Fort Madison run helped give the Bloodhounds a 19-15 lead at halftime, and the Demons were still looking for an offensive spark.

Fort Madison held Washington at bay through most of the third quarter, holding a 28-23 lead, but Washington found its groove heading into the final quarter.

A Nacos bucket trimmed the lead to three, and on the first play of the fourth quarter, Pacha converted a 3-point play to tie the game.

Salow knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Demons the lead, and they ran with it, posting a 16-0 run.

?We?ve always been a second-half team and we don?t really know why,? Salow said. ?It just seems to work out that way. We kept pounding the ball in and we kept going and never stopped.?

Fort Madison couldn?t recover after the run, as the Demons outscored them 24-6 to end the game. The six Bloodhound points came from 3-pointers.

?It?s one of those games where we are constantly grinding,? Bentley said. ?We played Solon earlier this year in a game like this and lost by four. Now we win by 13, and it shows how much they are growing. They are believing in themselves and good things are happening.?

After earning a hard-fought victory, the Demons will look to earn their first winning streak of the year, going for their third straight victory when they host Mt. Pleasant on Friday night. One thing Bentley isn?t worried about with this team, is them losing focus.

?I don?t think there?s a worry about complacency,? Bentley said. ?Not with these kids. They are hungry to keep winning. They want to see how good they can be. They like battling.?

Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 on Friday night.