BELLVILLE — The Clear Fork High School girls basketball team was all business on Saturday afternoon. Clear Fork used a strong defensive performance and timely shooting to move past the visiting Fredericktown Freddies. The Colts (3-4) dominated Fredericktown (2-5) in the second half en route to a 30-20 victory.
“They outhustled us,” said Fredericktown head coach Dave Logan. “You’ve got to give them a lot of credit. They did what they had to do and did it well. They played better because it meant more to them.”
In spite of the final score, the first half was about as close as two teams could be. The teams traded baskets and when the buzzer sounded for the half, Clear Fork held a slim 14-13 lead.
In the third quarter, the Colts came to life. They outscored the Freddies 12-4 and moved into a comfortable lead.
“Offensively, we were more relaxed [in the second half],” said Clear Fork head coach Les Hauenstein. “We got better shots and did a better job of taking care of the ball. We were a little more patient with the ball in the second half.”
That lead the Colts built in the third quarter was not challenged in the fourth as Clear Fork was clutch with its free-throw shooting late in the game. Clear Fork used the free shots from the charity stripe to cruise to the 10-point victory.
“It was really important [that we hit our free throws],” said Hauenstein. “Throughout the whole season, we have been terrible; we haven’t even shot 50 percent. We work hard on it.”
Clear Fork was able to contain Fredericktown post player Mackenzie Logan with effective defense, critical to its success.
“It’s a recurring theme with us,” said coach Logan. “They don’t let Mackenzie catch the ball and we can’t score.”
Fredericktown was lead by Mackenzie Logan, who scored 10 points. The Colts were paced by Monique Wilson who had eight points, while Nichole Lane and Holly Birch each added six points.
Clear Fork will not play again until Jan. 6, hosting Lucas at 6 p.m. Fredericktown will return to Mid-Buckeye Conference play at Johnstown at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
