Cougars eke out WBL win over Defiance

DAVE MOSIER/independent sports

DEFIANCE — It definitely wasn’t pretty, but the Van Wert Cougars managed to put together a fourth-quarter rally and ratchet down their defense to post a one-point Western Buckeye League win over Defiance, 49-48, on Friday.

Even though Jacoby Kelly and Nate Place, the Cougars’ two top scorers and usually its best free-throw shooters, went a combined 3 of 10 from the line, Van Wert did just enough to come up with the hard-fought win.

Both teams scored 16 points in a roller-coaster first quarter, but the Bulldogs went on a 13-9 spurt in the second quarter to take a four-point lead, 29-25, at the half. The Cougars, who looked tired at times in the game, then stepped up their defense and outscored Defiance 24-19 in the second half for the win.

Van Wert took a 37-35 lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Bulldogs hung in, challenging several times in the final stanza before the Cougars were finally able to put it away. While only 2 of 7 from the line in the fourth quarter, Van Wert stepped up its defense to keep Defiance off the scoreboard.

Place led the Cougars, which saw only four players score, with 23 points, while Kelly added 17 points, including three treys. The Bulldogs were led by Will Lammers’ 16 points, while Michal Menendez added 11 for Defiance.

Van Wert was 19 of 40 from the field (47.5 percent), while hitting 5 of 13 from three-point range (38.5 percent). The Bulldogs made 18 of 41 from the field (43.9 percent), including 6 of 13 from behind the arc (46.2 percent). The Cougars were just 6 of 14 from the line (42.8 percent), while Defiance made 6 of 8 at the line (75 percent).

Van Wert had the edge in rebounding, 24-23, while also having fewer turnovers (12-14).

The Cougars (12-9, 4-4 WBL) will finish out the regular season next Friday at home against the second-place Wapakoneta Redskins (17-2, 7-1 WBL), who have lost only to league-leading Ottawa-Glandorf.

The Van Wert junior varsity team lost 53-42 to the Bulldogs. Brice Klausing led all scorers with 18 points, while Clayton Proffitt added 10 points for the Cougar JVs. Hunter Perrine had 11 points for Defiance, while Tyrel Goings added 10 for the Bulldog JVs.

Box score

Van Wert 16   9 7 17—49

Defiance  16 13 6 13—48

Van Wert (49) — Jacoby Kelly 17, Nate Place 23, Nick Gutierrez 3, Drew Bagley 6. Totals: 19 6-14 49.

Defiance (48) — Michael Menendez 11, Will Lammers 16, James Sele 6, Tyrel Goings 4, Josef Kanouh 8, Easton Gerken 3. Totals: 18 6-8 48.

JV game: Defiance won 53-42