Knights win 20th over Columbus Grove

Crestview girls’ basketball news

CONVOY — Crestview ended its final Northwest Conference game in the same fashion that the Knights ended the previous eight this season: with a victory.

The Lady Knights capped off a perfect NWC season (9-0) by throttling Columbus Grove 55-30.  Crestview earned its “Damsels of Defense” nickname, wreaking havoc on the Lady Bulldogs on Grove’s offensive end and forcing Grove to miss two-thirds of its field goal attempts.

Crestview’s balanced scoring attack was led by sophomore forward Lindsey Motycka, who had 13 points while freshman center Emily Bauer added 12 markers. Mackenzie Riggenbach, the sophomore point guard for the Knights, dished out seven assists and scored 9 points.

Forward Mariah Henry is the lone Crestview senior and played her final game at Ray Etzler Gymnasium.

The Knights made 20 of 42 field goal attempts (47.6 percent), while knocking down an incredible 6 of 9 from three-point range (66.7 percent). Crestview was 9 of 14 (64.3 percent) from the free throw line.

The Lady Bulldogs made just 11 of 33 field goal attempts (33.3 percent), and were only 1 of 6 (16.7 percent) from beyond the arc. Columbus Grove was deadly at the free throw line, though, making all 7 attempts at the charity stripe (100 percent).

The Lady Knights dominated on the boards as well, bringing down 29 rebounds, 15 of those on the offensive end of the court, while Grove had just 15 rebounds on the night. Turnovers were closer, with Crestview losing the ball 12 times to 14 for the Bulldogs.

Crestview ends the regular season with a record of 20-2, tying the most regular season wins ever by a Crestview basketball team, boys or girls. The Knights play next at 6:15 p.m. Saturday, February 23, in Division IV sectional tournament play at Van Wert against the winner of Tuesday night’s game between Delphos St. John’s and Parkway.

Presale tickets for that game will be available Thursday, February 21, and Friday, February 22, from 7:45 a.m.-3:30 p.m. in the athletic office. Tickets are $4 for students and $6 for adults.