Girls hoops: Van Wert opens with a ‘W’

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Defense and free throws down the stretch carried Van Wert to a 51-44 season opening victory at home over Ottoville on Friday.

Trailing 27-26 nearly halfway through the third quarter, Kyra Welch and Sofi Houg had back-to-back steals and layups that put Van Wert ahead 30-27. After a pair of free throws by Ottoville’s Skylar Turnwald trimmed the lead to one, Maria Bagley converted a layup and foul shot, then Houg closed the third quarter scoring by pumping in a triple from the right wing with 15 seconds left, giving the hosts a 36-29 lead entering the final quarter.

“Defense has been our strength the last four years and we’re going to try to continue to utilize that,” Van Wert head coach Hannah Phlipot said.

A Welch offensive rebound and bucket was sandwiched by treys from Erica Thorbahn and Turnwald, which cut Van Wert’s lead to 38-35 with 5:30 left in the game. However, Houg drained a pair of free throws and Erin Schaufelberger had a layup that put the Cougars ahead 42-35. Later in the quarter, Houg hit consecutive baskets to stretch the lead to nine, 46-37. Van Wert was able to ice the win by convert 4-of-5 foul shots in the final 63 seconds. As a team, the Cougars connected on 13-of-19 free throws in the game.

“It’s repetition, it’s time they’ve put in outside of our 3-5 practice time, to do the little things,” Phlipot said. “They stay late to shoot free throws, they come in early to shoot free throws for moments just like that, to close games and I thought they did a great job doing that.”

Houg finished with a game high 19 points and eight rebounds, while Welch tallied 15 points. Elise Kramer led Ottoville with 15 points and Thorbahn and Turnwald each had eight.

“We knew it was going to be a dogfight – it’s the first game of the year for everybody, there’s a lot of energy, there’s a lot of emotions with it but we have a veteran five girls who are out there on the floor that are going to give it their all,” Phlipot said.

Van Wert opened the game with a quick 5-0 lead on a trey by Houg and a bucket by Schaufelberger, but Ottoville grabbed a 6-5 lead. Jordanne Blythe scored Van Wert’s final four points of the quarter, enough to give the Cougars a 12-9 lead entering the second period. Baskets by Becca Turnwald and Paige Turnwald gave the Big Green a quick 13-12 lead early in the second, and a trey by Kramer put Ottoville ahead 16-14. Van Wert took a 22-20 lead on a Welch layup but Kramer drilled a late triple to put the visitors ahead 23-22 at halftime.

Ottoville (0-1) will host Lincolnview on Tuesday while the Cougars are off until a December 1 road game at Bath.

“They’re going to get a few well deserved days off with parent-teacher conferences and Thanksgiving,” Phlipot said. “We’ll come in and out, we’ll bring some alumni in to break up some of the monotony to go up and down against,” Phlipot said. “We’ve had four weeks now to play one game so what’s 13 more days?”

Scoring summary

Van Wert 12 10 14 15 – 51
Ottoville 9 14 6 15 – 44

Van Wert: Sayler Wise 0-2-2; Debbie Jones 1-0-2; Jordanne Blythe 1-2-4; Kyra Welch 5-4-15; Sofi Houg 6-4-19; Maria Bagley 2-1-5; Erin Schaufelberger 2-0-4

Ottoville: Jessica Burgei 1-0-2; Erica Thorbahn 2-2-8; Skylar Turnwald 2-3-8; Elise Kramer 5-2-15; Paige Turnwald 1-1-3; Becca Turnwald 2-1-5; Isabella Furley 0-3-3

JV: Van Wert 32-26