Creston girls basketball team defeats Clarke, 58-46

Panthers overcome absence of leading scorer Kadley Bailey with strong defense and balanced scoring

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

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The Creston girls basketball team defeated Clarke 58-46 in a regional playoff game, overcoming the absence of their leading scorer Kadley Bailey. The Panthers used a swarming defense to limit Clarke to just two 3-pointers, while making seven of their own. Creston got a big first-half performance from Marlee to secure the victory.

Why it matters

This win keeps Creston's playoff run alive and shows their ability to win without their top scorer, demonstrating the team's depth and defensive prowess. The game also highlights the competitive nature of the regional playoffs in Iowa high school basketball.

The details

Unlike their earlier overtime win against Clarke in the regular season, the Panthers were able to control the game with their defense, limiting the opposing team to just two 3-pointers. Creston, meanwhile, made seven 3-pointers of their own to pull away for the 58-46 victory.

  • The game was played on Saturday night, February 18, 2026.

The players

Kadley Bailey

The leading scorer for the Creston girls basketball team who was absent for this game.

Marlee

A Creston player who had a big first-half performance to help lead her team to victory.

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The takeaway

Creston's ability to win a playoff game without their top scorer demonstrates the team's depth and defensive capabilities, which will be crucial as they continue their postseason run.