Indian Creek advances to IAAM B semifinals with 54-31 win over Mercy
Indian Creek girls basketball’s grip on Mercy weakened late in the first half of Tuesday’s Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference quarterfinal. When the Magic rocketed into the third quarter by controlling the glass and finishing baskets, the Eagles’ control slackened even more.
Mercy’s ability to shirk its eighth seed and keep pace with the No. 1 seed wasn’t of any surprise to anyone. The two exhausted all four quarters of their previous meetup only a few days ago, which Indian Creek just slightly eeked out.
This article was originally published in the February 10, 2026, edition of the Capital Gazette.
Tuesday’s contest, however, wouldn’t resemble last time past those first couple minutes of the second half. By the final buzzer, nearly every Eagles starter watched gleefully from the bench as their teammates vied for shots that didn’t matter if they landed or not. A 54-31 final stamped Indian Creek’s place in Thursday’s semifinal at home against Severn.
“This is a treat for our hard work,” sophomore Masara Magassouba said. “We wouldn’t go 8-1 without hard work, dedication and passion.”
The atmosphere that cheered the Eagles as they trotted toward their locker room postgame transformed entirely from the one that welcomed them to the season in November. The crowded bleachers behind their bench chanted ceaselessly, waving a green-and-gold flag.
By the time sophomore Rebekah Young hit a foul shot a few minutes later, the Eagles had tightened their control snugger than they ever had, riding a 20-point lead and counting. “It really just brings the vibe,” Magassouba said with a giggle. “When you’re playing in a good environment, everything flows. Everything feels great. You just play a good game.”
A near-perfect regular season conference performance earned them home court advantage. For Amira Commissong, getting to play on her own hardwood will help her cope with any stressors the Admirals may bring in two days. After all, a single point separated the two when they played last week.
“I feel like we started a little slow in the first half, but we had a good talk in the locker room about getting back out there, giving it our all,” Commissong said. “I think we did.”
After a Magic 3-pointer, Eagles senior Norah Young leapt for the rebound and sent it to Commissong. The guard didn’t hesitate before gliding downhill, skirting around her own defender and Magassouba’s to flick a confident pass to the sophomore.
Her 3-point shot signaled the end of Mercy’s run. Commissong quickly followed up with her own.
“We did a better job of executing the offense, getting it inside and kicking back out,” Corkin said. “We were hitting shots that weren’t hitting in the first half.”
Indian Creek ambushed Mercy on both ends, ensuring the Magic never felt free enough to take the shots they wanted. If Mercy did win control of the ball, the Eagles rushed back to defend and shatter any chance of a transition. Players pounced on loose balls and rebounds as aggressively as they ran into the paint to score. If someone failed to grab a possession, the rest were expected to step up.
“Our coach works us hard to make sure we’re good defensive players,” Magassouba said. “Defense wins games.”
Commissong upped the ante. “Defense wins championships.”
Commissong upped the ante. “Defense wins championships.”
Injuries finally began to bother the Eagles last week, claiming a worthy asset off the bench in Katelyn Bowen. Corkin made it clear to his five starters that they’d need to endure more now than they had all season. He also called players into brand new roles, like senior Londyn Poteat, who joined her fellow bigs in battling under the basket.
“She hadn’t played in months, but she came back. We probably wouldn’t have won on Saturday, [against Mercy] without her,” Corkin said.
The Eagles hope to face Severn again with the same mentality that armored them on Tuesday. So long as they lean into their attacking defensive style – and perhaps make a few more free throws than they had in their last meeting – they believe they’ll be filling a bus for Howard Community College and the IAAM B Conference final on Saturday.
“I think we’re going to be happy on Thursday evening. We don’t want to look back and say, ‘Hey, I could’ve done this or I could’ve done that,” Corkin said. “We just want to execute and do what we need to do.”
This article was originally published in the February 10, 2026, edition of the Capital Gazette.
Indian Creek School
Indian Creek school is a co-educational, college preparatory independent school, located in Crownsville, Maryland. Students in Pre-K3 through grade 12 receive a vibrant educational experience based on excellent academics steeped in strong student-teacher connections.
