Indian Creek was entering Tuesday’s home matchup against Marquette off a 20-point loss to Scales Mound.

The Crusaders won five straight to start the year, all by at least 14 points.

But the Timberwolves built out a 15-point lead in the first half and didn’t take the foot off the gas in the second half, hitting the running clock in a 62-33 win.

“We knew we were the underdogs and we knew we were better,” said Logan Schrader, who finished with 16 points and five rebounds. “We just played that way.”

The Timberwolves (3-2) also had strong performances from post players Payton Huber and Isaac Willis. Huber finished with 13 points and six rebounds while Willis had 13 points and four rebounds.

But the biggest contributor to the Timberwolves’ 29-24 edge on the boards was guard Parker Murry, who had 10 rebounds to go with six points and three steals.

“We were really harping on it that all five of us needed to crash the boards,” IC coach Nolan Govig said. “Our two bigs ... just battled for offensive rebounds every possession and they do a really good job of that.”

Luke McCullough opened the game with a 3-pointer for Marquette (5-1), but it was their only lead of the game. Indian Creek scored the next 10 points.

Once the lead grew to 21-11 in the second quarter on a bucket by Huber that kicked off a 10-0 run, it never shrank to single digits again.

“We were awful,” Marquette coach Todd Hopkins said. “We looked like a third-grade intramural team. But give Indian Creek credit because they came and they basically kicked our [butt] all over the court.”

A 3-pointer from Matt Graham, his only points of the game, cut the lead to 41-26 late in the third quarter. But Indian Creek answered with 19 of the next 23 to reach the 30-point lead needed for the running clock.

Griffin Dobberstein scored nine points for the Crusaders, tied for the team lead with Lucas Craig.

“You never want to entertain a team like that,” Govig said. “They can shoot the 3 well. [Dobberstein] is unbelievable. I’m glad we put them away and didn’t let them hang around.”

Both Schrader and Govig said the intensity with which the Timberwolves played was a major key to the victory.

Govig said Cooper Rissman personified that intensity with the defense he played on Dobberstein.

“He did a phenomenal job on him,” Govig said. “He picked him up full-court for 32 minutes. I think when you do that it can help when you’re picking him up with full intensity.”

Marquette committed 13 turnovers in the loss and forced just nine by Indian Creek.

“We couldn’t do anything,” Hopkins said. “We couldn’t dribble. We couldn’t catch the ball. We couldn’t coach. We couldn’t do anything.”

Both teams are 1-0 in their respective conferences and are back at it Friday. Indian Creek faces Little 10 foe Earlville on the road.

The Crusaders host Tri-County opponent Lowpoint-Washburn in a game Hopkins said is a crucial one for his club.

“We can’t get much worse, I hope, but maybe we will,” Hopkins said. “It’s a situation where it’s either going to go one way or the other and it’s all going to ride on Friday. ... So we’ll see what happens. If they got any heart, they’ll come back and play well Friday. If we don’t, then we’re soft and we’re not any good.”