The Van Wert County Courthouse

Friday, Mar. 29, 2024

Hoops preview: Cougars, Lancers, Knights

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

The 2019-2020 boys basketball regular season will come to an end Friday night for Van Wert, Lincolnview and Crestview. The Cougars and Lancers will be on the road, while the Knights will play the regular season finale at home.

Van Wert at Celina

The Cougars (7-14, 3-5 WBL) will try to bounce back from Tuesday’s 72-44 loss to Lima Central Catholic with a game at Western Buckeye League foe Celina.

Van Wert is averaging 52.1 points per game and allows 59.7 points to opposing teams. Owen Treece averages 23.3 points per game, while Jake Hilleary averages 7.9 points and a team high 7.0 rebounds per outing. Keaton Brown averages 5.6 points per game, with Clayton Proffitt right behind at 5.4 points per contest.

Celina (2-19, 2-6 WBL) enters Friday’s game on a nine game losing streak, including losses to St. Marys Memorial and Lima Central Catholic last weekend.

The Bulldogs have struggled offensively and are averaging 39.3 points per game, while allowing 57.2 points per outing. 6-0 senior guard Ethan Wilson is Celina’s leading scorer, averaging 10.2 points per game, while 6-3 senior forward/center Max Thobe averages 7.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. 6-5 sophomore forward/center Josh Rasawehr adds 6.9 points and a team leading 5.0 rebounds per game.

Van Wert won last year’s game 64-45, but the Bulldogs haven’t lost to the Cougars at home since the 2011-2012 season.

Friday’s game will air live on WERT 1220AM/104.3FM.

The Cougars (No. 7 seed) will play No. 9 seed Wapakoneta in the Division II sectional semifinals at 7 p.m. next Wednesday at Paulding High School, with the winner advancing to the sectional championship game two days later against No. 3 seed Defiance. Van Wert defeated the Redskins 68-46 on December 20.

Lincolnview at Paulding

Last weekend wasn’t kind to Lincolnview (10-11, 5-2 NWC), with losses at the hands of Ada and Arlington. Now, the Lancers will try to snap a three game losing streak in the regular season finale at Paulding on Friday.

Lincolnview is averaging 53.3 points per game while giving up 56.7 points per game. Creed Jessee continues to lead the Lancers with 13.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest. Collin Overholt is just shy of double figures at 9.9 points per game and a team high 4.8 assists per game. Jake Bowersock averages 8.7 points and 4.6 points per game, followed by Aaron Cavinder (6.7 ppg) and Clayton Leeth (6.2 ppg).

Paulding (6-14, 2-5 NWC) will play at Edgerton tonight. Ahead of the game against the Bulldogs, the Panthers are averaging 45 points and allowing 52 points per game. Four players averages around 10 points per game – Blake McGarvey (11.9), Peyton Beckman (10.1), Seth Dysinger (9.8) and Hunter Kauser (9.2).

Paulding won last year’s game 66-52 but before that, the Lancers had won four straight against the Panthers.

Friday’s game will air live on 99.7 WKSD.

Lincolnview (No. 5 seed) will play in the Division IV sectional semifinals against No. 6 seed Miller City at at 8 p.m. on Wednesday at Van Wert High School. The two teams met on January 11, with Miller City recording a 64-51 win. The winner of the rematch will face No. 4 seed Kalida or No. 13 seed Patrick Henry in the sectional championship game at 8 p.m. Friday at Van Wert.

Crestview vs. Spencerville

The Knights (10-11, 3-4 NWC) will try to end the regular season on with a win that would put the team at .500 heading into next week’s tournament.

Crestview averages 49.1 points and gives up 50.3 points per game. As he has for most of the season, Kalen Etzler leads the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 16.9 points and 10.4 boards per game. Carson Kreischer averages 10.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per outing, and Gavin Etzler, Kaden Short and JJ Ward average 5.6, 5.4 and 5.2 points per game respectively. Brody Brecht adds 3.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.

Spencerville enters the game 7-14 (3-4 NWC) and the Bearcats have won five of the last seven games, with the losses coming to Marion Local and Division II No. 1 Shawnee. Josh Henline leads Spencerville by scoring 13.8 points per game, while Dalton Prichard averages 10.8 points per contest, followed by Eli Harter (7.8 ppg). Jackson Goecke and Keegan Goecke are the team’s top two rebounders, with each averaging five per game.

Crestview won last year’s game 60-36. Spencerville’s last win in the series came during the 2016-2017 season, 43-41.

As the No. 8 seed at the Division IV Elida district, the Knights will begin sectional play against No. 7 seed Leipsic at 6:15 p.m. next Wednesday at Bluffton University, with the winner advancing to face No. 3 seed Delphos St. John’s in the sectional championship game on Friday, February 28.

POSTED: 02/19/20 at 10:19 pm. FILED UNDER: Sports