Springs Valley Community High School

The Springs Valley girls' basketball team traveled to Wood Memorial on Saturday for its first contest of the new season. The matchup between the two reigning sectional champions didn't disappoint, going down to the wire as the Blackhawks won 44-42. Springs Valley trailed for much of the afternoon, falling behind 14-7 at the end of the first quarter and closing the gap to 35-33 at the end of the third. In the fourth the 'Hawks outscored the Trojans 11-7 to take the victory. Maddie Carnes and Maci Eckerty led the way for the Blackhawks in Oakland City; the pair started strong coming off their Class 1A Freshman All-State seasons a year ago. Carnes went for 15 points and a team-high seven rebounds, also picking up two assists, a steal, and a block. She hit a pair of 3-pointers and knocked down a mid-range jumper to give Springs Valley a 42-40 lead in the final minute of the game. Eckerty also had fifteen points, doing so in incredibly efficient fashion. She struggled with foul trouble in the first half, but exploded for 15 points on 5/7 shooting in the limited time she had on the court. She hit four of her six 3-point attempts, also tallying a pair of assists, a rebound, a steal, and a block without a single turnover to her name. The Blackhawks also got a big contribution from its senior class. Leigh Carnes made her varsity debut, starting at center. She finished with six points on 3/4 shooting, also grabbing six rebounds. Gracie Allstott made an impact off the bench, going for five points and two steals. It was ultimately her mid-range jumper with 10 seconds remaining that gave the Blackhawks the win. Bella Nottger only took one shot and didn't score off the bench, but she did tie for the team-high in rebounds with seven. Tori McCormick scored two points and had three rebounds. Jordyn Land had one point and one rebounds. Kynleigh Dalton had four assists and a rebound. Springs Valley (1-0) will try to carry the momentum from this win into its home opener on Thursday against Forest Park.