VW gets non-league win over Kalida

DAVE MOSIER/independent sports

The Van Wert Cougar boys took an early lead and used a big third quarter to seal a 58-45 non-conference victory against Kalida on Tuesday.

The Cougars led 13-8 at the end of the first quarter and increased that lead to six, 27-21, at the half. But it was a big third quarter that saw Van Wert outscore the Wildcats by 12 points, 18-6, that was crucial to the Cougars’ win. That’s because Kalida rallied in the final stanza and outscored the Cougars 18-13, but the five-point difference was more than negated by Van Wert’s third-quarter run.

Oddly, it wasn’t the Cougars’ main scorers, AJ Smith and Joey Hurless, who made the biggest impact against Kalida. With Smith held to 9 points in the game and Hurless to just 5 points, sophomore Connor Holliday stepped up to score 16 points in the game, while junior Kyle Keber added 12 for Van Wert.

Austin Horstman was Kalida’s, and the game’s, top scorer with 19 points, while Devin Kortokrax added 13 for the Wildcats.

The Cougars shot well on the night, hitting 10 of 18 two-pointers (55.6 percent) and 10 of 21 three-point attempts (47.6 percent). Van Wert was 8 of 11 at the free-throw line (72.7 percent). Kalida hit 14 of 33 two-point attempts (42.4 percent) and was 3 of 9 from three-point range (33.3 percent). The Wildcats made 8 of 12 from the line (75 percent).

Rebounds went to Kalida, 28-20, while the Cougars had fewer turnovers, 9-11.

In the first game of the night, Van Wert’s junior varsity team won its 13th of the year, against just one loss, with a 45-33 victory over the Wildcat JVs. Nick Keber led the Cougars with 13 points, while Drew Myers added 10.

Van Wert’s varsity is 9-5 on the year and will return to Western Buckeye League play on Friday night against Celina. That game will also be in the Cougar’s Den.