Creekside moves to 18-0 with win over defending champs, Maynard Jackson
The Creekside Seminoles Girls Basketball team are in the midst of one of their best seasons since 2001, when they finished 26-2 after a 19-0 start. On Friday, the Seminoles moved one game closer to tying their 19-0 mark of 2001 after their 58-38 win over defending Georgia High School Association Class 5A defending state champions, the Maynard Jackson Jaguars, completing the regular season series sweep of the Jags and improving to 18-0.
"They're the defending state champions so they're going to play hard, we just had to remind them basketball is a game of runs," Creekside head coach, Akennia Ellis said after Friday's win in which the Seminoles had to overcome a trailing by four at the end of the first quarter as the Jaguars came out aggressive and lead throughout the entire opening period. "We had to make sure our run is longer and we have to make sure theirs is shorter," Ellis continued.
And the Seminoles would respond in the fashion Ellis spoke on as they would outscore the Jaguars 15-2 in the second quarter as senior, Skye Cleveland would lead the way with seven of her 14 points in the period, helping Creekside take a 26-17 lead into the locker room at halftime. In the third quarter, Maynard Jackson would have a better outing, however not enough to overcome the deficit as Creekside would own the period, outscoring the Jaguars 18-12 to take a 44-29 lead into the fourth quarter.
"Keep the energy up," Ellis later said of what she and her coaching staff continuously reminded their players of throughout the night, something sophomore, C'india Dennis had no problems doing as 17 of her 31 points would come in the second half of the game. She would also finish with 10 rebounds and six assist on the night.
And while the Seminoles are two wins away from their best start in program history, memories of coming up short last season has the Ladies of Creekside focused on more than perfection. "They went out and they just got better individually and they just came back ready," Ellis said of her players as they came into the season with "maturity" also being a key factor.
"That's been an overall thing for us and we've just been telling them one game at a time. Undefeated doesn't mean anything because we don't have anything to show for it. Until you have atrophy and a ring and a banner, it doesn't matter," Ellis added. The Seminoles will be back in action on Saturday when they take on Lowndes.
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