Class D girls’ basketball Subdistrict championships

When senior standout Rylee Hanks is in a groove, the Crawford Lady Rams usually have enough to get by.

Yet it’s a totally different ballgame when her teammates get involved, as the Creek Valley Lady Storm learned during Thursday night’s Sidney D1-12 Subdistrict at Cabela’s Athletic Facility.

Hanks managed her 30 points, but it was freshman center Kaitlin Rudloff’s 13 points and nine rebounds that provided further damage in a 60-44 Crawford victory.

“We struggled when we were a one-person team Tuesday night (in a 54-46 win against Garden County),” Rams coach Rick Barry said. “It was nice to have all the girls come out and contribute tonight.”

Rudloff, who scored 34 points Tuesday, got off to another hot start against Creek (10-10), putting up 13 points in the first quarter. In the meantime, Bill Wilber’s Storm was busy committing 10 turnovers and leaning on Summer Mueller’s eight points to stay within seven points, 19-12, at the first stop.

“We came out and threw the ball to the wrong people,” Wilber said. “We played sort of scared, we hadn’t played for a Subdistrict championship in forever. I thought we’d be ready to play, but we weren’t.”

Creek opened the second period with a turnover, which Hanks converted into a 3-point basket from the left corner for a 22-12 advantage. However, it was a 10-point run that got the Rams going. Hanks had a pair of baskets, her sister Haley popped a trey and Rudloff sacked a three-point play off an offensive rebound, and Crawford held a 35-17 command with 3:07 remaining in the half.

Creek rebounded on even terms in the first quarter, but that wasn’t the case the rest of the way.

“Rudloff and the other Hanks girl came in and played well,” Barry said, “and the rest boxed out and rebounded for us. We’re not big in the post, so we really have to scrap and work for it.”

By intermission, Crawford (17-5) held a commanding 40-26 lead.

The second half was played on even terms, but Creek — behind Mueller and running mate Jerry Straber made a last-ditch move in the fourth period. Down 50-35 after three periods, the Storm crept to within 52-42 with 5:12 remaining on Shelby Selby’s 12-footer in the lane.

Creek began pressuring, and had Hanks trapped in the right corner. The Rams standout remained calm and collected, and found teammate Lacie Lietka flashing open under the basket for an easy layup.

“That was a big basket; Creek Valley had all the momentum,” Barry said. “Hanks was double- or triple-teamed there, but she was patient and found the open shooter.”

Lietka’s score took the winds from the Storm’s collective sails; Creek was limited to a pair of free throws the rest of the way.

Hanks finished with 30 points, Rudloff adding 13 for Crawford, while Straber and Mueller led Creek with 17 points apiece.

Barry said his team sees plenty of gimmick defenses, due to his star’s success.

“She sees a lot of box-and-one and triangle-and-two,” Barry said, “but it’s often hard to defend her that way because she sets the screen, and then gets open a lot because defenders lose track of her.”

Wilber said his team might have had the deer-in-the-headlights performance, but was quick to note that by all measures, the season was a success.

“We weren’t setting our screens tonight, it was tough,” Wilber said. “I thought we’d play better than this, but again this was our first year together, and the girls are still kind of getting the system.

“This team won the MAC title, and got to the Subdistrict championship game, and we did set four school records.

“Shania (Brown) set the single-game school record for rebounds (19); Mueller (15 points per games) should break the points-per-game average (14), and she broke the single-game scoring record (31 points); and we were averaging 46.5 points and the team record is 45, so we should have that one, too,” Wilber said.

But more than anything, the Storm saw improvement in the win column, after Creek had gone 3-45 overall in the previous three seasons before Wilber took over this winter.

“To go 0-17, 1-14 and 2-14, and then come back and end up going to Subs at 10-9 that’s great,” Wilber said.

Crawford will advance to next Friday’s District 6 championship opposite Sutherland, a 61-19 winner against Paxton. A site has not been determined for the contest.

Sidney D1-12 Subdistrict

Championship

Crawford 60, Creek Valley 44

CREEK VALLEY (10-10)

JeStraber 7-16 1-1 17, Selby 2-8 0-0 4, Mueller 8-17 1-2 17, Brown 0-4 0-0 0, Behrends 1-8 0-0 2, Mitchell 0-1 3-4 3, Schievelbein 0-1 1-2 1, Wade 0-1 0-0 0, Thomas 0-0 0-0 0, JoStraber 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-56 6-9 44

CRAWFORD (17-5)

Lietka 3-7 0-0 6, RHanks 9-15 10-14 30, Fowler 2-5 1-4 5, Guest 0-3 0-0 0, Rudloff 5-11 3-6 13, Underwood 0-1 0-0 0, HHanks 2-4 0-0 6, Kleinlein 0-0 0-0 0, Lane 0-0 0-0 0, Tweet 0-0 0-0 0, Lemmon 0-0 0-0 0, Tigges 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-46 14-24 60

Creek 12 14 9 9—44

Crawford 19 21 10 10—60

3-point goals — Creek Valley 2-13 (JeStraber 2-5, Selby 0-1, Mueller 0-2, Brown 0-1, Behrends 0-3, Mitchell 0-1, Wade 0-1), Crawford 4-11 (Lietka 0-1, RHanks 2-3, Rudloff 0-3, HHanks 2-4). Rebounds — Creek Valley 21 (JeStraber 6, Mueller 5), Crawford 35 (Rudloff 9). Turnovers — Creek Valley 26, Crawford 26. Team fouls — Creek Valley 20, Crawford 15. Fouled out — Brown, Mitchell.