Laukhuf keys run, win over Van Wert

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Momentum is an important part of basketball and that was evident during Saturday night’s home opener for Van Wert.

Late in the second quarter the Cougars trailed by just four, 25-21, but Wayne Trace’s Brooks Laukhuf, helped change the game in rapid fire fashion. The 6-4 senior guard, who recently signed to play for Ohio Domican at the collegiate level, drilled consecutive treys, sparking what provided to be a 13-0 run that spanned the second and third quarters.

After leading 33-21 at halftime, another late third quarter run by Wayne Trace (4-0) propelled the Raiders to a 68-43 win, the first over Van Wert since the 2020-2021 season.

“It certainly did change the game,” Wayne Trace head coach Jim Linder said of the first run. “We switched our defenses up all night long and we switched to a triangle and let our two chasers get up and get after it and it seemed to bother Van Wert. We opened the lead a little bit and we started to find each other, started making that long pass and broke them out of that box defense…once we dissected that I think things went a lot smoother for us.”

“We were down four then it was like an avalanche,” Van Wert head coach Ben Laudick said. “It wasn’t because our guys weren’t playing hard or competing, it just Wayne Trace is a great program and they have some really good players that have been around for while. They’re the type of team that has runs in them like that and you have to weather them as best as you can.”

Laukhuf finished the first half with 15 points then added 15 more in the second half. Hudson Myers finished with 14 points and Kyle Stoller added 12 points, including 10 in the second half.

“We knew he was going to get his points and it took Stoller a little longer to get to his points so it’s trying to contain everyone else around them,” Laudick said. “It’s hard to prepare so you try to take away what weaknesses he has and there’s really not that many.”

Conner Campbell, who missed Friday’s game against Parkway with an ankle injury, came off the bench and led Van Wert with 11 points. Collin Haggerty added seven points, while Keaten Welch, who entered the game averaging 17 points, was held to five.

“We have great kids,” Linder said. “Last (Friday) night we didn’t play well and we challenged them tonight and they responded really well. That’s the sign of a veteran team.”

The Cougars will open WBL play at Celina on Friday, then will travel to Kalida on Saturday. Wayne Trace will host Liberty Center on Friday, then will travel to Crestview on Saturday.

Box score

Raiders 17 16 19 16 – 68
Cougars 10 11 13 9 – 43

Wayne Trace: Hudson Myers 5-2-14; Tanner Laukhuf 2-0-4; Caiden Sinn 2-0-4; Brooks Laukhuf 13-1-30; Caleb Mosier 2-0-4; Kyle Stoller 4-4-12

Van Wert: Gage Stemen 2-0-5; Kaden Shaffer 2-1-5; Conner Campbell 4-1-10; Rylan Miller 2-0-5; Nate Gearhart 2-0-6; Keaten Welch 1-3-5; Collin Haggerty 3-0-7

JV: Wayne Trace 47-32