BELLVILLE, Ohio — As if the recent rash of injuries wasn’t enough, now Clear Fork coach Heidi Roush is dealing with a mild flu epidemic. An ailing Erika Farst scored 15 of her game-high 19 points in the first half and the short-handed Colts held on for a 45-34 win over Ontario at the Les Hauenstein Gym on Monday.
Clear Fork (16-4) already was without the services of Madilyne McDonald and Hannah McCartney (ACL injuries) and Mattie Van Orman, who is nursing a high ankle sprain.
“Then we had the flu hit today,” Roush said. “Morgan Bailey is at home sick as a dog and Erika played and she is sick as a dog.
“It was a very gutsy performance. I don’t think she has an ounce of energy left.”
The 5-foot-6 senior wing scored Clear Fork’s first five points, but the Warriors (6-11) jumped out to an 8-5 lead midway through the first quarter. Deijah Swihart knotted it up at 8-8 with a 3-pointer with 2:10 to play in the opening period before freshman Macy Wade gave the Colts the lead for good with a layup off a Swihart assist.
Clear Fork led 16-11 after the first quarter.
“We just kind of came out flat today,” Ontario coach Sarah Krichbaum. “We struggled to guard (Farst) off the dribble. She is athletic and finishes well around the rim and Deijah does a nice job of running the point and controlling the tempo of the game.”
Swihart and Farst did most of the damage in the second quarter as the Colts outscored the Warriors 15-8 in the period for a 31-19 halftime lead. The duo combined for 13 of Clear Fork’s 15 points.
“We could just never get any momentum going,” Krichbaum said. “Deijah is a strong kid and she’s everywhere on the court.”
The Warriors cut Clear Fork’s lead to 31-23 early in the second half on back-to-back putbacks by Nashail Shelby. The Colts responded with a 10-6 run to close the quarter for a 41-29 lead after three.
“Ontario is a dangerous team,” Roush said. “There is a lot of talent there. They are young, but they are capable of putting up some numbers.
“Our girls did a good job of weathering the storm and taking advantage of the opportunities they had.”
Shelby led Ontario with nine points. Amanda Nething and Olivia Shaver scored six points apiece.
Swihart backed Farst with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
No Rest: The Warriors return to action today against Northern Ohio League-leading Bellevue. It’s the third game in four days for Ontario.
“It’s a quick turnaround,” Krichbaum said. “It doesn’t get any easier.”
Gunning for History: The Colts host Wooster on Thursday in the final home game of the season. Clear Fork hasn’t been beaten open its home court this year.
“We’ve never gone undefeated at home,” Roush said. “If we win Thursday, we will have gone undefeated at home, which would be great for the girls.”
