Averie Lower strikes for 36 points; Clear Creek Amana marches to 8-0

CENTER POINT — When do you know?

“When we get on the bus,” Clear Creek Amana Coach Matt Hoeppner said.

When do you know it’s going to be one of those nights for Averie Lower?

“When is it not?” answered teammate Lena Evans.

What sayeth you, Averie?

“I always have the confidence that it’s going to go it,” Lower said. “Sometimes it doesn’t. I shot tonight in the gym before we left, and that probably helped.”

Lower hit 13 of 16 shots (10 of 13 from 3-point range) in a 36-point barrage as Class 4A fourth-ranked CCA conquered 3A No. 14 Center Point-Urbana, 64-28, in a Wamac Conference cross-divisional girls basketball game Tuesday night at Center Point-Urbana High School.

The Clippers are 8-0, winning all seven of their encounters with ranked competition thus far.

“I really like the way we’re playing defense so far,” said Hoeppner, in his first year guiding the Clippers. “The biggest thing, we continue to improve.”

A senior who is bound to Arizona State University next season, Lower was hot from the outset. She was 5-of-6 from distance in the first quarter, 8-of-10 in a 24-point first half.

“She’s always going to make her shots, even if she missed her first two,” Evans said.

Lower upped her season scoring average to 27.5 points per game. She is shooting 60 percent from the field, 50 percent from distance.

Evans and Kennedy Stratton scored 12 points apiece. Evans posted six rebounds, eight assists and five steals.

“She does it all,” Hoeppner said of the Doane (Neb.) University commit. “She makes plays.”

CCA shot to a 16-4 lead through five minutes, led 40-14 at halftime and rolled despite 23 turnovers and no free-throw attempts.

Adelyn Stien paced CPU (6-5) with 10 points and six rebounds.

Clear Creek Amana 64, Center Point-Urbana 28

At Center Point

CLEAR CREEK AMANA (64): Alex Schrage 0-1 0-0 0, Averie Lower 13-16 0-0 36, Lena Evans 5-13 0-0 12, Kennedy Stratton 5-10 0-0 12, Lydia Keller 0-3 0-0 0, Bailey Simpson 1-1 0-0 2, Brooklyn Lee 0-2 0-0 0, Eva Slaymaker 0-0 0-0 0, Kendyl Malli 0-1 0-0 0, Nakia Tangang 1-1 0-0 2, Gretchen Kruse 0-0 0-0 0, Carley Nash 0-0 0-0 0, Berkley Bryant 0-0 0-0 0, Zella Evans 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-48 0-0 64.

CENTER POINT-URBANA (28): Deni Katcher 2-12 2-2 6, Kyra White 0-6 0-0 0, Grace Estling 1-7 0-0 2, Maci Kindschi 2-6 0-0 6, Adelyn Stien 4-6 2-2 10, Amelia Wilhelmi 0-3 0-0 0, Lily Miller 0-5 0-0 0, Kamille Barrington 1-3 0-0 2, Emily Goebel 0-1 0-0 0, Grace DeSmet 0-0 0-0 0, Kaitlyn Beck 0-0 0-2 0, Josie Brecht 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 11-50 4-6 28.

Clear Creek Amana 19 21 7 17 — 64

Center Point-Urbana 10 4 4 10 — 28

3-point goals: CCA 14-31 (Schrage 0-1, Lower 10-13, L. Evans 2-6, Stratton 2-6, Keller 0-2, Lee 0-2, Malli 0-1), CPU 2-10 (Katcher 0-2, White 0-3, Estling 0-1, Kindschi 2-4). Team fouls: CCA 11, CPU 5. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: CCA 37 (Lower 8), CPU 25 (Stien 6). Assists: CCA 21 (L. Evans 8), CPU 5 (Katcher 3). Steals: CCA 14 (L. Evans 5), CPU 11 (Stien 3). Turnovers: CCA 23, CPU 21.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com