TCL BASKETBALL Crestview topples Clippers

Three-pointers were essential to the Rebels' win.
By JOHN BUTERA
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
COLUMBIANA -- Due to the outstanding playoff success of its football team, the Columbiana High boys basketball team had to wait a few extra days before opening its season.
After running into a hot Crestview team Friday, the Clippers may have wished they had waited even longer as the Rebels fashioned a 72-60 victory.
Crestview (1-1) dropped a heartbreaker Tuesday, so this win was especially pleasing to coach Rick Gates.
"After playing hard the other night, this was really good for the kids," Gates said. "Hopefully this will be a momentum builder, especially since it was the first TCL game."
Crestview made eight 3-pointers on the night, and it gave notice right from the start that the long shot would be a weapon to be contended with. Tony Amabile hit two bombs in the opening session and scored 14 of the Rebels' 19 first-quarter points.
Leading 19-10 after one, Crestview's Jordan Reynolds joined the 3-point parade, hitting on back-to-back trips down the floor as Crestview went out 25-12 at 6:17 of the period. Jerry Einsiedel would then get into the act at 5:27 as Crestview built its biggest lead of the half, 28-14. Joey Winters and Deric Graft would fuel a Clipper comeback that cut the lead to seven, but a field goal by the Rebels' Drew Gates just before the half gave the hosts another double figure lead at intermission, 35-25.
"We knew early that Columbiana liked to play zone," said Gates. "So we knew we had to hit some shots. We were fortunate to hit some early."
Clipper coach Herman Miller agreed.
"You have to give them credit," he said. "I thought they had some good looks, and they took advantage of them. Much to their credit, they made their own luck."
Fighting to close gaps
Columbiana made its best run of the game to start the second half as Morgan Hart went three for three and pulled down two defensive rebounds as the Clippers cut the Rebel leads to four points on one occasion and five on another. As it did all night, however, Crestview answered the run, this time running off nine straight points to take a 49-35 lead at 2:18. Amabile, who took scoring honors with 23, keyed the uprising with yet another 3-pointer, one of four he would hit on the night.
Field goals by Einsiedel, another 3-pointer, and a basket from Andrew Kestner, settled the issue at 7:18 of the fourth as Crestview was in command 57-39.
"Any time you make a run when you are in a hole, you reach a point where there isn't much left in your tank," said Miller. "And I think that's what happened to us."
Gates added, "Fortunately we answered every one of their runs. We couldn't put them away, but we kept that distance and slowed them down."
Einsiedel finished with 16 for the hosts, while Kestner added 10. Winters had 14, Craft 13, and Hart and Cory Guy a dozen each for the Clippers.