Cougars break Bulldog jinx to advance

DAVE MOSIER/independent sports

ADA – It looked for awhile like it was going to be another overtime Van Wert versus Celina game, with the last three all won by the Bulldogs. But heroics by Corey Clifton, who made two free throws with 8.3 seconds left and then tipped the ball out of Nate Bihn’s hands on an inbounds pass as the buzzer sounded, preserved a 65-63 Cougar win and a Division II district championship.

The game started out as a typical no-one-can-get-the-upper-hand Van Wert-Celina game, similar to the 60-57 overtime loss to the Bulldogs during the regular season. The Cougars were up a point, 14-13, at the end of the first quarter, with Celina turning the tables in the second quarter to tie the game at 28-all at the half.

The Bulldogs then outscored Van Wert 18-15 to go up by three, 46-43, heading into the final period of play. The Cougars, faced with either getting tough or going home, got tough, hitting their free throws down the stretch and playing in-your-face defense against the always hard to beat Bulldogs. After Clifton’s final free throws, a Cougar got his hand on a Celina pass, knocking it out of bounds with 2.1 seconds left in the game. The inbounds pass went to Bihn, who ended the game with 16 points, and Clifton got a hand on it, tipping it to teammate Jacob Myers, who held on to seal the win.

Clifton was the Cougars’ — and the game’s — top scorer with 27 points, including a 7-of-7 performance at the free throw line. Reggie Phillips also had a huge game, scoring a career-high 19 points, while Myers added 11 points for Van Wert.

In addition to Bihn, John Homan also scored 16 points, with the two players being the only Bulldogs in double figures.

Both teams shot well from three-point range. The Cougars hit half of their trey attempts (3 of 6), while Celina was 7 of 11 from beyond the arc (63.6 percent). Van Wert again excelled on the two-point shot, hitting an awe-inspiring 22 of 31 (71 percent), while the Bulldogs were 17 of 33 (51.5 percent) from two-point range. The Cougars won the free-throw shooting contest, hitting 12 of 17 (70.6 percent), versus 8 of 15 (53.3 percent) for Celina.

Rebounding and turnovers were mostly even, with the Bulldogs bringing down two more boards (21-19) and Van Wert having one fewer miscue (9-10).

The Cougars are now 19-4 on the year, the same record as Celina, although the Bulldogs’ season is over.

Van Wert will now play Rocky River in a regional semifinal game at Bowling Green State University. The game begins at 6:15 p.m. on Thursday, March 17.

Tickets for the regional semifinal game will go on sale for team members from 7:45-10 a.m. Monday in Athletic Director Kent Smelser’s office. High school and middle school students can purchase their tickets in the AD’s office at lunch on Monday, while full-time district employees with season tickets can buy tourney tickets from 3-4 p.m. Monday.

Season ticketholders will be able to get their tournament tickets from 5-6:30 p.m. in the AD’s office (one reserved seat ticket for each season ticket issued, but no limit on general admission tickets).

Any tickets remaining will be sold at Derry Drugs on Westwood Drive all day Tuesday and Wednesday through noon on Thursday (click here for more photos)