Cougars come up short against Celina

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

CELINA — A 28 point fourth quarter wasn’t enough as Van Wert fell to Celina 65-61 in the Western Buckeye League opener at Dean White Court at the Celina Field House on Friday. After a run to the state semifinals in football, it was the opening game for the Bulldogs.

The Cougars (0-5, 0-1 WBL) trailed by as many as 19 early in the final period but Conner Campbell keyed a run that trimmed the lead to six, 54-48, with just over three minutes left in the quarter, but the Bulldogs were able to quickly push the lead back to double digits. Campbell scored 13 of his team high 19 points in the final period.

Kaden Shaffer, who finished with 18 points, all on three pointers, hit a trey at the final buzzer.

“There was no quit in us, maybe a little frustration with how we started,” Van Wert head coach Ben Laudick said. “If it was a three quarter game we might be having a different conversation now.”

Celina (1-0, 1-0 WBL) set the tone early by racing out to a 25-11 lead at the end of the first quarter. Lennon Cisco keyed the early run by hitting three consecutive triples in the opening period.

“Unfortunately that first quarter start by us really bit us in the end,” Laudick said. “Celina has a very experienced team. Some of those guys have been playing for three or four years and we knew they were capable of making some shots but we thought maybe they’d have football legs because of their state football run.”

“Credit coach (Adam) Johns, he had his guys ready to go,” he added. “Things just kind of snowballed real quick in that first quarter and once one or two went in it felt like they couldn’t miss.”

Both teams struggled to score in the second quarter as Celina put in just five points, while the Cougars scored six, including five by Keaten Welch, making it 30-17 at halftime.

Celina’s Braylon Gabes scored 13 of his game high 24 points in the third quarter and the Bulldogs carried a 48-33 advantage into the final period. Shaffer and Collin Haggerty each scored six in the third quarter. Haggerty went on to finish with 11 points.

“I felt he was our catalyst tonight in the team huddles, trying to rally the guys,” Laudick said of Haggerty. “I’m proud of our effort but it’s back to the drawing board to figure out a way to get the first one. I feel once we get it that pressure will be off our back and then we can play a little more relaxed and loose.”

The Cougars will play at Kalida tonight.

Box score

Bulldogs 25 5 18 17 – 65
Cougars 11 6 16 28 – 61

Celina: Caleb Gabes 6-2-8; Braylon Gabes 7-7-24; Grant Duncan 5-0-12; Carter Alstaetter 3-0-6; Lennon Cisco 4-1-13; Jake Knapke 1-0-2

Van Wert: Kaden Shaffer 6-0-18; Conner Campbell 7-2-19; Rylan Miller 2-2-6; Keaten Welch 2-2-7; Collin Haggerty 5-1-11

JV: Van Wert 42-37