Cougars end season with sectional loss

Van Wert independent sports

ST. MARYS — The Van Wert Cougars ended their season Friday with a 51-37 loss to St. Henry in a Division III sectional championship game played at St. Marys Memorial High School.

Van Wert was ultimately doomed by its slow start in the first half of Friday’s game. The Redskins outscored Van Wert 12-8 in the first quarter and led by 16 points, 28-12, at the half. The Cougars actually outscored St. Henry in the second half, 25-23, but couldn’t surmount the Redskins’ first-half advantage.

Free throwing shooting was most of the story, as St. Henry had 23 free throw opportunities and made 18 of those, while Van Wert was 6 of 8 from the line.

The Redskins were deadly from two-point range, canning 12 of 17 two-point attempts (70.6 percent). St. Henry was 15 of 29 overall from the field (51.7percent).Van Wert made 14 of 37 field goal attempts (37.8 percent), including 11 of 24 from two-point range (45.8 percent).

Most of the damage was done by St. Henry’s highly recruited Ryan Mikesell, a 6-6 senior who scored 25 points, including a 13-of-14 performance at the free-throw line. Mitchell Stammen added 13 points for the Redskins, which had only five players score in the game.

Connor Holliday was the only Van Wert player in double figures, with 10 points, while Kyle Keber added 7 points for the Cougars.

Van Wert ends a disappointing season with a 11-13 overall record, while the Redskins, now 17-7 overall, advance to district tournament play