Knights, Raiders win Tip-Off openers

DAVE MOSIER/independent sports

The Crestview and Wayne Trace boys’ basketball teams started the season off right with victories in the opening games of the Van Wert County Hospital Tip-Off Tournament held in the Cougar’s Den.

Wayne Trace had its offense in high gear as the Raiders went on a 48-19 tear in the middle quarters to come away with a 72-49 victory over the Lincolnview Lancers. Wayne Trace had four players in double figures, led by Ryan Kortokrax’s 16 points. Dalton Sinn scored 12 points, Corbin Linder has 11 points and Colby Spiece added 10 points for the Raiders. Kyle Williams was the only player in double figures for the Lancers, with 12, although Nick Leeth was close with 9 points on the night.

The game started out close, with the Raiders taking a 2-point lead, 13-11, in the first quarter. That changed quickly, though, in the second stanza, as Wayne Trace outscored the Lancers 29-12 to go up by 19, 42-23, at the half. The Raiders’ lead nearly doubled by the end of the third period as Wayne Trace went on a 19-8 run in that quarter for a 61-31 score heading into the final period of play. Lincolnview staged a mini-rally in the final stanza, outscoring the Raiders 18-11, but the effort wasn’t enough to overcome Wayne Trace’s huge lead in the game.

Statistically, the Raiders were 25 of 39 for an excellent 64.1 shooting percentage from two-point range. Wayne Trace hit just 4 of 15 three-point attempts, though, for a total field goal percentage of 53.7.

The Lancers were 11 of 32 (34.4 percent) from two-point range and hit 4 of 19 three-point attempts (21.1 percent) for an overall field goal shooting percentage of 29.4. Lincolnview was much better at the line, making 15 of 25 attempts for 60 percent, while the Raiders were less than stellar from the line, knocking down only 10 of 34 free-throw attempts (29.4 percent).

Wayne Trace outrebounded the Lancers 41-29, while Lincolnview had one more turnover, 13-12, than the Raiders.

Free throws were the key in the second game of the night, as the Crestview Knights edged Van Wert 50-43 on the strength of a 10-of-13 performance at the line in the fourth quarter — and 18 of 23 overall from the charity stripe. Van Wert struggled offensively, hitting 13 of 27 two-point attempts (48.1 percent) and just 3 of 15 from three-point range (20.0 percent). The Cougars were just 8 of 15 from the free throw line (53.3 percent). Crestview was 13 of 31 from two-point range (41.9 percent) and made 2 of 9 three-point attempts (22.2 percent).

The Knights were up by just a point, 13-12, at the end of the first quarter and three points at the half, 23-20. That lead was at 6, 32-26, at the three-quarter mark, but Crestview’s free-throw shooters, led by Damian Helm’s 8 of 10 at the line, Cam Etzler’s 4 of 6 free throws and Preston Zaleski’s 4-for-4 free-throw shooting performance, pulled out the victory in the final stanza.

Helm led the Knights with 12 points, while Etzler added 9 points and Zaleski and Ty Bolenbaugh each had 8 points in the game. Van Wert had three players in double figures, led by Joey Hurless’ 11 points, while AJ Smith and Matt Bidlack each had 10 points in the game. But poor free throw shooting and a less-than-adequate job on the boards doomed their efforts.

Crestview outrebounded the Cougars 31-24, while both teams had 10 turnovers on the night.

Van Wert and Lincolnview will play each other tonight in the Tip-Off Tourney consolation game, while the Knights and Raiders will go head-to-head in the championship game that follows. The first game will tip off at 6 p.m.