MANTUA, OH- On a chilly January Saturday afternoon the Crestwood Lady Red Devils welcomed in their future CVC Conference neighbors, the Rootstown Rovers. Both teams were coming off of tough road losses on Thursday. The Rovers dropped their first game of the season at Revere while the Red Devils fell to the Kent Roosevelt Rough Riders. Crestwood was without one of their key players in Becca Brady who was serving a two game suspension after being ejected from the Roosevelt game. A big third quarter by the Rovers helped them pick up a big 52-40 win.
Crestwood got off to a fast start in this one forcing some Rover turnovers and getting some good inside play on offense from Maddie Dustman and Abby Guyette.
Maddie Dustman scores inside for Crestwood in the 1st
They held a 9-5 lead midway through the quarter before Colbie Curall and Kelsey Bittecuffer scored back to back baskets to tie it up at 9.
Colbie Curall with the drive and score for Rootstown in the 1st
Crestwood and Guyette responded as she scored the final six points of the quarter to take a 15-10 lead after one.
The teams opened the 2nd quarter trading baskets for the first few minutes with Crestwood holding their five point lead at 19-14 after a Liv Martini bucket. Cloe Bengston then converted a big and-one opportunity followed by a Sophie Smith bucket to tie it up at 19. The Rovers would take a 23-21 lead with under a minute to play in the half after a pair of Smith free throws. Maddie Grace would hit a big three for Crestwood to put them up 24-23 at the half. Abby Guyette led the Devils with 8 first half points while Colbie Curall had 7 for the Rovers.
The 3rd quarter was the difference in this one. The Rovers opened the 3rd on a 13-2 run. Nadia Lough scored six straight before a Kelsey Bittecuffer three put Rootstown up 36-26.
After a Lilly Stoots free throw for Crestwood, Colbie Curall converted and and-one opportunity giving the Rovers their biggest lead of the game at 39-27. They increased the lead to 14 after another Bittecuffer three before Liv Martini scored the final basket of the quarter as Rootstown would take a 42-30 lead into the 4th.
Crestwood was not done as they opened the final quarter with an 8-1 run capped off by back to back three balls from Hannah Ward and Piper Seibold to cut the deficit to five at 43-38.
Piper Seibold drains a corner three for Crestwood in the 4th
Lough stopped the run on a put back score inside before Ava Lincoln cut it back to five at 45-40 for the Devils.
Nadia Lough with the put back of the Smallfield miss in the 4th for Rootstown
Those would be the final points for Crestwood as the Rovers scored the final seven points to secure the 52-40 win.
Nadia Lough led the way for the Rovers with 17 points and 7 rebounds. Colbie Curall had 12 points to go along with 10 rebounds while Kelsey Bittecuffer chipped in with 11 points and two big three's in quarter three. Hannah Ward led Crestwood with 10 points and Abby Guyette snagged 13 rebounds
The Rovers have a big PTC matchup with Warren JFK on Wednesday while the Red Devils will look to bounce back that same evening at Wickliffe.
Postgame interviews with Colbie Curall, Nadia Lough and head coach Joe Leonard.