GALION — Clear Fork benefited from nine 3-point field goals and three players scoring in double digits to pick up its first Mid Ohio Athletic Conference win of the season.

The Colts (3-2, 1-0 MOAC) defeated Galion 77-29 on Thursday evening.

Senior Morgan Galco and sophomore Lyvia Davis each scored 16 points and junior Bekah Conrad tallied 14 points to fuel the win. Galco connected on four 3-point field goal attempts and Davis made good on 9-of-12 free throws. The 6-foot, 4-inch Conrad was dominant in the paint, knocking down all six of her field goal attempts within five feet of the basket and collecting nine rebounds and four blocked shots.

Senior Josie Schwaner scored nine points, all on 3-point shots. Sophomore Pacey Chrastina added eight points. Freshman Kylie Belcher scored five points. Sophomore Lily Wortman chipped in four points and 12 rebounds. Junior Trinity Cook added three points and senior Hallie Gottfried had two points.

“Like everybody else in the area, we’ve had kids out, been in quarantine. We’ve had some injuries,” said Clear Fork coach Scott Sellers. “So, I think we’ve been continuing to find out who we are as a team. It’s went from playing 10, 11, 12, to knocking that back down to seven and trying to get back in the half court. But I think we’re starting to find out who we are as a team. I think it’s a pressure team. I think it’s a run a little bit, get after it defensively.”

After building a 16-5 lead by the end of the first period, the Colts exploded in the second quarter, outscoring the Tigers 32-8 to run their advantage to 48-13 at halftime.

Clear Fork’s pressure defense generated 31 Galion turnovers. The Colts dominated the boards, outrebounding Galion, 45-29.

“We’ve been down the last couple of years, but we’ve got some good athletes here,” Sellers added. “They’re starting to buy into what these coaches and what I’m trying to do with them. We’re pretty pleased with tonight.”

Freshman Lexi Rush led Galion with 15 points. She had three rebounds.

Junior Natalee Perkins — the MOAC’s leading rebounder, averaging 11.4 per game — added eight points, 10 rebounds, and three blocked shots.

Juniors Teanna Greter and Kylie McGee chipped in four points and two points, respectively. Greter grabbed six rebounds and had a steal. Junior Phynix Cole had three rebounds.

“It was a rough night,” Galion coach Shani Rush said. “I told them our season can go either way. Winning cultures are team driven. This team can’t be driven by the coach; it has to be driven by them. The effort every night, just going out and competing every night, that’s where we’ve been struggling. I feel like we just come out and go through the motions.”

Rush said while losing players to injury and quarantine have had a negative impact om the Tigers, she still expects the team bear down and turn in its best effort.

“I’m not making any excuses, but we get one starter back then we lose another starter,” she said. “Our bench is not very deep and when we lose one, it puts a hole in our offense and defense. But the effort, I wasn’t pleased with our effort tonight at all. We’ve got to change that.”

Upcoming schedule

Galion (0-7, 0-3 MOAC) is scheduled to play at Shelby on Saturday. The Tigers return home on Wednesday to face Highland.

Clear Fork is scheduled to play at Triway on Saturday and then has a home date with Ontario on Wednesday.