Etzler leads Crestview by Tinora 44-37

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

CONVOY — Crestview shook off a slow start and went on to defeat visiting Tinora 44-37 on Saturday and in the process, Ohio State signee Kalen Etzler joined the 1,000 point club.

The 6-8 senior forward hit a deep triple with 1:33 left in the third quarter to hit the coveted 1,000 mark. He went on to finish with a game-high 20 points and 10 rebounds.

“I’m proud of Kalen for getting his 1000th point,” head coach Doug Etzler said. “He has worked hard and it is a great accomplishment for him.”

While known for a deliberate offense under Hall of Fame head coach Paul Wayne, Tinora (1-3) jumped out to an early 9-3 lead and the Rams led 12-10 at the end of the first quarter. All of Tinora’s points in the period came on treys, two each by Marcus Grube and Max Grube, while Etzler scored seven points for the Knights.

“It was a tough game for us,” the coach said. “Tinora came out and hit three 3’s to start the game and had us on our heels defensively. They do a good job of being extremely patient on offense and waiting for you to make a mistake and tonight they shot it really well from three-point range.”

“I thought we picked up our intensity defensively after they hit their shots early,” Etzler added.

Marcus Grube went on to lead Tinora with 17 points, including five treys, while Max Grube finished with 11 points.

Sparked by Gavin Etzler’s four triples in the second quarter plus four points by Carson Kreischer, Crestview surged to a 26-21 halftime lead. Etzler finished with 12 points and Kreischer cracked double digits with 10.

In the third quarter, Kalen Etzler scored seven of Crestview’s 11 points and the Knights led 37-28 entering the final period, then he added six more in the fourth quarter.

Crestview shot 50 percent (17-of-34) from the floor with 22 rebounds and just six turnovers. Tinora was 13-of-33 (39 percent) from the floor with 16 rebounds and only nine turnovers. The game was largely free of foul shots, with Crestview connecting on 2-of-5 and Tinora 4-of-6.

“I was pleased with our exeuction at the offensive end,” Etzler said. “For the most part we did a good job of moving the ball and getting good shots. It was a good team win.”

Crestview (7-2) is scheduled to host Allen East on Friday, followed by a trip to Arlington on Saturday.

Scoring summary

Crestview 10 16 11 7 – 44
Tinora 12 9 9 7 – 37

Crestview: Kalen Etzler 9-0-20; Gavin Etzler 4-0-12; JJ Ward 1-0-2; Carson Kreischer 4-2-10

Tinora: Marcus Grube 5-2-17; Max Grube 4-1-11; Nolan Schafer 1-0-2; Gavin Eckert 2-0-4; Eric Bohn 1-1-3