Lady Cougars outlast LCC in two OTs

DAVE MOSIER/independent sports

It took two overtimes, but the Van Wert Lady Cougars pushed their record back above the .500 mark with a 63-59 non-conference victory over Lima Central Catholic on Monday.

With the win, Van Wert is now 9-8 overall, while the Lady Thunderbirds are 9-7 on the season.

It was a game of runs, with the Lady Cougars making the first one to take a 13-4 lead at the end of a quarter. LCC came back in the second stanza on a 12-2 run to lead by a point, 16-15, at the half. Both teams scored 12 points in the third period to maintain the T-Birds’ one-point advantage, but the Lady Cougs had a chance to win the game in regulation, leading 38-35 with 18 seconds remaining, but LCC’s Madison George tied it up with a three-pointer with seconds remaining.

Both teams scored 10 in the first overtime, with Van Wert having to rally, though, to send the game into the second OT, where the Cougars outscored LCC 15-11 to take home the win.

Van Wert had three players in double figures, led by senior Alex Morrow’s 20 points, including an 8-for-8 performance at the free throw line. Freshman Alexis Dowdy added 17 points while senior Molly Gamble scored 10 points for the Lady Cougars.

Free throws were crucial to Van Wert, which made 24 of 36 attempts (66.7 percent) in the game, including some clutch shots down the stretch. The T-Birds had a better percentage (72.2), but fewer attempts, making 13 of 18 attempts in the game.

The Van Wert junior varsity team also won, 51-37, to run its season record to 12-4 on the year. The Cougar JVs trailed 13-9 in the first quarter, but went on a 12-7 run in the second quarter to lead 21-20 at the half. LCC’s JVs grabbed the lead back with a 13-11 run in the third quarter, but Van Wert put the game out of reach in the final stanza with a 19-4 offensive explosion. Claire Butler and Hannah Hulbert led the Cougars with 13 and 12 points, respectively.

Van Wert will next play at Defiance on Thursday in a Western Buckeye League match-up. The junior varsity game will begin at 6 p.m.