Girls Basketball: Ashley Clemmons leads Minooka past Plainfield North

Updated: November 29, 2011 10:12PM

Ashley Clemmons was a force to be reckoned with on both ends of the floor in Minooka’s 63-50 girls basketball victory over host Plainfield North in Southwest Prairie action Tuesday night.

Clemmons, a center, scored a game-high 23 points (11-of-15 shooting) grabbed 10 rebounds and had four blocks for Minooka.

“As long as we play good defense we know that our offense will come,” Clemmons said.

Fellow Indians teammates Samantha Wurtz and Sara Placher added 11 and nine points, respectively.

“I thought our shot selection tonight was awesome and I thought both Kelly Carnagio and Karli Carter did a great job defensively on Carlie (Corrigan),” Minooka coach Ray Liberatore said.

Corrigan led North with 14 points and pulled down nine rebounds. The Tigers also got contributions from Kristen Shimko (nine points) and Courtney Good (eight points).

Minooka (2-4, 1-0) was able to get the ball down low to Clemmons early and often to start the game and built a quick 8-2 lead.

North’s Kristen Shimko hit a three-pointer at the first quarter buzzer to cut the Minooka lead to 12-11.

Minooka then got hot from long distance. Erin Heide’s three and later Wurtz’s third three-pointer of the quarter sparked a 14-3 run that gave the Indians a 26-14 lead with 4:20 left in the half.

“Those threes helped because it brought their defense out and they really didn’t have anyone to guard Ashley inside then,” Liberatore said.

North (1-5, 0-1) trailed 34-24 at halftime and shot just 7 of 33 from the field in the half.

“We are getting open shots but we are just not knocking them down at this point,” North coach Jim Walter said.

Clemmons’ offensive rebound and subsequent put back extended the Minooka lead to 45-32 early in the third quarter. Clemmons final basket on the night stretched the Minooka lead to 61-42 with just 2:40 remaining in the game.

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