Published Wednesday, November 18, 2009

East Coweta splits with Creekside

The Newnan Times-Herald

FAIRBURN - The East Coweta Indians couldn't overcome a nine-point third quarter here Tuesday night and lost their Region 4-AAAAA opener to Creekside, 79-71.

The Lady Indians won their game over the Lady Seminoles, 55-45.

After taking a 39-38 lead into halftime, the EC boys went over two minutes before registering their first bucket of the second half and by then Creekside had bolted to a 10-point lead.

The Indians never recovered despite getting to within two points three times in the final two and a half minutes of the game.

The loss dropped the Indians to 1-1 on the year after they won their opener at McIntosh Saturday night, 86-79, in overtime.

The first two quarters of Tuesday's game gave every indication that the Indians would match or exceed that offensive output of the season opener.

But it didn't happen.

Creekside, behind the sharp-shooting of leading scorer Trevarious Relaford who finished with 24, scored 11 unanswered points to open the second half while the Seminoles' fullcourt pressure defense continually frustrated the Indians.

After EC cut the lead to 49-44 with 3:45 left in the third quarter, Creekside went on a 7-0 run and went on to build a 61-48 lead, the biggest of the night, at the end of the period.

The Indians chipped away in the fourth quarter and Joshua Houston's basket with 2:26 to play pulled EC to within two at 69-67.

Creekside answered with two at the other end before K.J. Hill's basket made it 71-69 with 1:35 to go.

Once against the Seminoles were true on their end of the floor, but Houston hit again with 1:20 to play to make it 73-71.

That was close as the EC boys would get, however.

Relaford banked in a three with 1:08 to play and when Hill missed from beyond the arc with 31 seconds left, it was pretty much over.

Houston led the Indians in scoring for the second straight game with 23, Brandon Farmer had 18, 15 of them in the first half, and Madarious Gibbs scored 10.

That same trio also hit in double figures in the opening win over McIntosh.

The Lady Indians improved to 1-1 with their win, bouncing back from their 49-37 loss at McIntosh on Saturday.

"The best thing about tonight," head coach Paula Jones said, "was that it was a region game and it was a win.

"I thought we did a good job in the second quarter when we forced them into a lot of turnovers."

The Lady Indians, who trailed 10-9 at the end of the first quarter, used that defensive intensity to spark a 22-point offensive explosion in the second eight minutes and carried a 31-21 lead into halftime.

It was 43-31 after three quarters.

"We let them get back into it a little in the fourth quarter," Jones said.

The Lady Seminoles never got closer than 10 of the leaders down the stretch, however.

Brittney Menefee led the EC girls with 15 including two threes.

"She shot the ball well from outside tonight," Jones said.

Casey Seldon scored 14 while Zanna Zackery had nine and Brittney Sinkfield seven.

Sinkfield was filling in for the injured Angela Zackery.