WT Raiders defeat Van Wert 64-57

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

Led by Jace Vining, Wayne Trace had four players reach double figures to help the Raiders defeat Van Wert 64-57 in non-conference boys’ basketball action at Van Wert High School on Saturday.

Vining finished with 24 points, including with 12 of those coming in the second stanza, as the Raiders turned a 13-9 first quarter lead into a 34-22 halftime advantage. Nate Gerber had 14 points, including seven in the second period, while Reid Miller tallied 12 points and Alex Reinhart finished with 10.

“That’s been the strength of our team,” Wayne Trace head coach Jim Linder said. “We’ve had a lot of people chipping in whether it be rebounds or scoring and I think that’s what’s making us successful right now – we’re buying into sharing the ball.

Owen Treece led Van Wert with 30 points, including seven treys and Keaton Brown had 13 points, with nine of those coming on three pointers. Jake Hilleary contributed with a pair of triples and eight points. As a team, the Cougars hit 14 shots from beyond the arc.

“Owen kind of carried us in that first half and our message at halftime was we needed more guys to score,” Van Wert head coach Ben Laudick said. “Finally some shots started to fall and I was happy to see that Keaton Brown got a couple to fall in.”

Brown pumped in eight straight points, including a pair of treys, early in the third quarter to help trim a 15 point deficit to single digits. The Cougars remained within striking distance in the fourth quarter, but Wayne Trace was able to secure the win with foul shots. The Raiders finished 17-21 from the free throw line, while the Cougars were just 1-4 from the charity stripe.

“We just couldn’t get over the hump,” Laudick said. “We made it eight or nine in the third quarter and they’d always counter with a made shot. In the fourth quarter we got it to five or six, but we just couldn’t make it a one possession game.”

“They wouldn’t quit and they hit threes from guys who weren’t even on the radar,” Linder said of the Cougars. “We play a lot of different defenses and sometimes you give up some of that stuff. Treece was so hot tonight – he still had 30 and we threw everything at him. He’s a great player.”

Wayne Trace (5-2), winners of five straight, will travel to Woodlan (IN) on Saturday night, while the Cougars (2-4) will host Ottoville on Friday and Columbus Grove on Saturday. Because of the Fiesta Bowl with Ohio State and Clemson, Saturday’s junior varsity contest will tip off at 4 p.m., followed by the varsity game.

Scoring summary

Cougars 9 13 16 19 – 57
Raiders 13 21 16 14 – 64

Van Wert: Owen Treece 11-1-30; Keaton Brown 5-0-3; Nate Jackson 2-0-6; Jake Hilleary 3-0-8

Waye Trace: Cameron Sinn 0-4-4; Reid Miller 3-4-12; Nate Gerber 4-5-14; Jace Vining 10-2-24; Alex Reinhart 4-2-10

JV – Wayne Trace 41-39