Friday Flashback: Cougars get by Kenton

Note: Van Wert will host Kenton in a Western Buckeye League matchup tonight, so this week’s Friday Flashback takes us back to January of 2015, when the Cougars pulled out a narrow win over the visiting Wildcats. Below is the story that appeared on the VW independent Sports page.

DAVE MOSIER/independent sports

It wasn’t a great shooting night for the Van Wert Cougars, but they still managed to edge the Kenton Wildcats 41-40 in a game played Friday night in the Cougars’ Den.

Van Wert got off to a cold start, hitting just 3 of 20 field goal attempts in the first half to trail by five points, 17-12, at the half.

The Cougars picked it up a bit in the second half, though, hitting a couple of treys and going 4 for 6 at the free-throw line in the fourth quarter to keep Kenton at bay. Van Wert outscored the Wildcats 29-23 in the second half to earn the league victory.

The Cougars are now 3-6 overall and 1-2 in the WBL, while Kenton is 3-7 and 0-3 in league play.

Connor Holliday led Van Wert with 20 points, while Nick Keber added 14 points for the Cougars. Austin Phillips was Kenton’s only player in double figures, with 13 points, although Colyn Blackford was nearly in double figures, with 9 points, and Luke Nichols added 8 points for the Wildcats.

Van Wert’s shooting was nothing to write home about, although it improved in the second half. The Cougars made 14 of 44 field goal attempts (31.8 percent), including 5 of 15 from three-point range (33.3 percent). Van Wert was 11 of 19 at the free-throw line (57.9 percent).

Kenton made 17 of 37 from the field (45.9 percent), with all of those coming from two-point range. The Wildcats were 0 for 3 from behind the arc. Kenton made 6 of 12 from the charity stripe (50 percent).

Kenton also had the rebounding edge for the game, bringing down 30 caroms to 27 for the Cougars. Van Wert had 10 fewer turnovers, though, losing the ball eight times, versus 18 for the Wildcats.

The Cougar junior varsity team also won, 50-31, over Kenton’s JVs. Ryan Keber and Dylan Lautzenheiser both scored 10 points for Van Wert, while Kenton’s Alex Huston led all scorers with 14 points.

The Cougars will return to action tonight with a road game at Maria Stein Marion Local.