Jessee scores 31, Lancers win 61-58

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

OTTOVILLE — Ottoville’s gymnasium is not an easy place for opponents to win, but behind 31 points by Creed Jessee, Lincolnview did just that on Tuesday night with a 61-58 victory over the Big Green.

The win improved Lincolnview’s record to 5-1, while Ottoville dropped to 6-2 on the season.

Jessee connected on 6-of-12 three pointers, was 5-of-8 from two point range, including a layup with 12 seconds left, and was 3-of-4 from the foul line. In addition, the 6-2 senior forward pulled down a team-leading six rebounds.

It was a tight game throughout, with the Big Green holding a 15-12 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Lancers outscored the hosts 17-11 in the second quarter and took a 29-26 advantage into halftime. Each team scored 18 points in the third quarter and Lincolnview led 47-44 entering the fourth quarter.

“I’m proud of the guys and the way they battled on both ends,” Lincolnview head coach Brett Hammons said. “We needed to follow the game plan and I felt the guys did that. Big plays were made by both teams. They’re a very good basketball team and I’m glad we found a way to get a tough win on the road.”

Along with Jessee, Collin Overholt finished in double figures with 10, while Aaron Cavinder and Jake Bowersock each had six. Overall, the Lancers were 23-of-55 from the floor and 7-of-11 from the foul line with 29 rebounds and 10 turnovers.

Josh Thorbahn led Ottoville with 27 points and 13 rebounds and William Miller added 17 points. The Big Green struggled from beyond the three-point arc, going just 2-of-12 but overall, Ottoville was 25-of-54 from the floor and 6-of-13 from the free throw line with just eight turnovers.

Lincolnview will host Fort Recovery on Saturday, while Ottoville will entertain Minster the same night.

Scoring summary

Ottoville HS 15 11 18 14 – 58
Lincolnview 12 17 18 14 – 61

Ottoville: William Miller 7-2-17; Kyle Manns 3-0-6; Grant Kortokrax 3-2-8; Josh Thorbahn 12-2-27

Lincolnview: Clayton Leeth 1-1-4; Aaron Cavinder 2-1-6; Collin Overholt 4-2-10; Landon Price 1-0-2; Daegan Hatfield 1-0-2; Jake Bowersock 3-0-6; Creed Jessee 11-3-31