ST. CLAIRSVILLE – Wheeling Central came out smoking Saturday afternoon and never cooled off in collecting some huge OVAC playoff points with a 74-50 shellacking of Indian Creek during the first of three games at the 12th annual Buckeye 8 Challenge inside the renovated ECO Center.

The Maroon Knights (6-0) were the lone West Virginia school competing in the two-day, five-game, 10-team event. They are currently ranked atop the Class AA poll, according to balloting by the W.Va. Coaches Association, and led the crowded OVAC Class 3A race, but picked up a number of points from the Redskins (5-3), who entered the game atop the 4A field.

“I thought we played really well on offense today,” Wheeling Central head coach Roberta Olejasz said. “I think everyone contributed in one way or another. We came out ready to play and that was the key.”

Seneca Heller (9) and Kaitlyn Blake (7) fueled Wheeling Central’s early attack which produced a 25-10 advantage after one quarter. Addie Payton knocked down a pair of trifectas as the Maroon Knights connected on half of their made three-pointers.

“They can shoot the ball. They average almost 80 points a game for a reason,” Indian Creek head coach Steve Eft said of the Maroon Knights. “They have a lot of weapons offensively, and we didn’t do a very good job of slowing them down.”

Blake, a 5-9 senior, and Heller, a 5-5 junior, evenly divided 16 second-quarter markers as the lead ballooned to 44-15 at the half. The duo combined for 32 of their team’s first-half points, as Heller netted 17.

“Defensively, we had everyone step up. We showed some different looks today and they stepped up big-time,” Olejasz added

Blake, a returning all-W.Va. selection a season ago, scored 14 of her game-high points after the intermission, including 10 in the third. Heller finished with 20 points, a handful of assists and a couple of steals.

Sharp-shooting sophomore Bella Fitzsimmons scored a dozen points – all coming on four treys. Payton finished with a trio of treys for nine.

“If we are going to win big games, we are going to have to have everyone contribute from the outside,” Olejasz continued. “I thought Bella hit some big shots today.”

Fitzsimmons also took game honors with 11 rebounds as Wheeling Central held a commanding, 34-20, advantage off the boards. Blake added six.

Indian Creek senior McKenna Scott scored a team-high 19 points and grabbed five rebounds. Kaydence Walker chipped in 12 points.

Wheeling Central had two less turnovers with 14. Half of Indian Creek’s turnovers came in the first quarter and put it behind the 8-ball.

“Turnovers didn’t help us and they (Wheeling Central) moved the ball really well,” Eft said. “They knocked down a lot of three’s.”