Motycka leads C’view vs. Ft. Jennings

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

CONVOY — It was the Paige Motycka show at Crestview High school on Tuesday night.

The 5-8 senior guard-forward scored 30 points and pulled down eight rebounds in a 59-24 non-conference victory over Fort Jennings.

“Her teammates did a great job of finding her tonight,” Crestview head coach Mark Gregory said. “She did a better job of making sure she had some flexibility to be inside and outside as opposed to just being outside.”

“She scored, she rebounded, she did it all for us,” Gregory added. “She handled the ball at point at times and did what seniors do.”

14 of Motycka’s points came in the opening quarter. With Crestview ahead 6-4, she drilled a three-pointer, hit two foul shots and had a two point basket to increase the lead to 13-4. Later in the quarter Motycka hit a two and a three to push the advantage to 20-4. A bucket by Kristen Luersman ended the run, but Crestview’s Lyvia Black drained a triple to give the Lady Knights a 23-6 lead at the end of the quarter.

Both teams struggled from the floor in the second period. Crestview scored seven points, with Motycka scoring five. Haley Speith accounted for Crestview’s only other points, and the Lady Knights didn’t score for the final 3:12 of the quarter. After being held scoreless for the first five minutes of the second quarter, the Lady Musketeers received a basket from Lillian Wisner, and a bucket and foul shot from Madison Neidert.

Crestview opened the third quarter with a 30-11 advantage and went right to work with an 8-2 scoring run. Motycka hit a two point shot and two free throws, Olivia Cunningham scored on an offensive rebound and return shot, then Motycka hit her second basket of the quarter. Cunningham’s scored again later in the period to give the Lady Knights a 40-15 advantage.

Scoring was more balanced in the fourth quarter. Lexi Gregory scored all six of her points in the quarter, Motycka had five, and Black hit her second trey of the game as the Lady Knights outscored Fort Jennings 19-9.

Crestview’s defense forced 24 Fort Jennings turnovers and caused scoring droughts of five minutes in each of the first two quarters, while allowing a total of nine points in the second and third quarters.

“Right from the get-go in the first quarter, we had a lot of energy with our man-to-man press, with our 1-2-2 halfcourt press,” Gregory explained. “We got a lot of deflections, and that’s what I told our girls – if we get those deflections, it’s going to give us opportunities for steals and create opportunities on the offensive end.”

Crestview (3-3) will host Allen East on Thursday, then will travel to Kalida on Saturday.

Scoring summary:

Crestview 23 7 10 19 – 59
Ft. Jennings 6 5 4 9 – 24

Crestview: Bailey Gregory 2-0-4; Lyvia Black 3-0-8; Lexi Gregory 3-0-6; Haley Speith 2-2-4; Olivia Cunningham 3-0-6; Lizzie Bowen 0-1-1; Paige Motycka 10-6-30

Ft. Jennings: Annabelle Wisner 1-1-3; Makenna Ricker 1-0-2; Madison Neidert 2-1-6; Kristen Luersman 5-1-11; Lillian Wisner 1-0-2

JV: Crestview won 21-14