Knights, Big Green win tourney games

DAVE MOSIER/independent sports

The 2012-2013 girls’ basketball season got off to a good start locally as the Crestview Lady Knights and Ottoville Lady Big Green took away big wins on the first day of the McDonald’s Tip-Off Tournament played at Van Wert High School gymnasium.

The Knights, playing against Wayne Trace in the first game of the night, came away with a 24-point win over the Lady Raiders, while won by 29 points over the Van Wert Lady Cougars in the nightcap.

Crestview more than doubled the score on the Raiders in the first quarter and then cruised from there to the Knights’ opening game victory.

Crestview led 25-13 at the half and then outscored the Lady Raiders 20-13 in the third quarter to take a 19-point lead, 45-26, into the final quarter. The Lady Knights outscored Wayne Trace in every quarter of the game.

Crestview kept turnovers low, while outrebounding the Raiders in the game. The Knights, which had shot well from the outside earlier in the game, went inside in the second half and either made the shot or were fouled by an overmatched Wayne Trace.

Crestview was led by a trio of sophomores, as guard Mackenzie Riggenbach scored 16 points for the Knights, including two treys and 4-for-7 shooting at the free throw line, while Kennis Mercer and Lindsey Motycka each added 10 points to the Crestview offensive totals. Sylvia Young led the Raiders with 9 points.

The Knights made 21 of 31 from the free throw line (67.7 percent), while Wayne Trace was 11 of 15 (73.3 percent) at the charity stripe.

In the second game, Ottoville was led by Abby Siefker’s 26 points as the Big Green made the middle quarters count, outscoring Van Wert 34-11 in the second and third periods, to win big against the Lady Cougars.

In addition to Siefker, Rachel Beining had 15 points for Ottoville. No Van Wert player was in double figures, but Cheyenne Handy led the Cougars with 9 points., including four deuces and 1-for-2 from the line.

Neither team had many chances from the charity stripe — 10 apiece, actually — but both made the most of their opportunities, with Ottoville knocking down 8 of 10 and the Cougars 7 of 10.

Both teams got a slow start, but the Big Green led by five, 9-4, at the end of the first quarter. Ottoville got hot in the second period, outscoring the Cougars 16-3 to go up by 18 points, 25-7, at the half. When the Big Green added another 18 points in the third quarter, compared to just 8 for Van Wert, the game was all over for the locals.

The Cougars and Wayne Trace will meet tonight in the tournament’s consolation game, while Crestview and the Big Green will battle it out in the championship game that follows.