Cougars struggle offensively in loss

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Van Wert held a potent Shawnee team in check but the Cougars couldn’t get anything going offensively during a 47-23 home loss to the Indians during Senior Night on Friday. It was Van Wert’s seventh consecutive loss and the sixth win in seven games for Shawnee.

“Our message all week was if it’s a game in the 40’s we really like our changes but unfortunately, we did not shoot the ball very well,” Van Wert head coach Ben Laudick said. “We have taken some really big steps in the right direction defensively from where we were earlier in the year, but it was just a bad night offensively. We got a lot of really good looks but they just didn’t go in unfortunately. That’s the game of basketball some nights – we just didn’t make enough shots to make it interesting.”

Bennett Bertke scored seven points in the opening quarter and the Indians led 9-6 entering the second period. Scoring was at a premium in the second quarter as Conner Campbell accounted for Van Wert’s only basket while Bertke had a bucket and four foul shots and Nick Pasion drained a triple. Between the first and second quarters, Van Wert was held scoreless for more than nine minutes and at halftime, the visitors led 20-8, and the Cougars battled foul trouble, as three players had two fouls very early in the second quarter.

In the third quarter, the Indians (11-5, 6-0 WBL) got on a bit of a roll and quickly turned a 23-12 lead into a 32-12 advantage. Dominic Lynch, who was held to a pair of free throws in the first half, scored on back-to-back layups, then Pasion drilled a triple from the right wing converted two foul shots.

“We traded a basket or two at the beginning of the quarter then they made a couple in a row and we missed a couple in a row and all the sudden you look up and it wasn’t a 12-point game it was closer to 20,” Laudick said. “Things got away from us in a hurry. It’s not a win in the win column for us but at the same time we need to have that mentality defensively and then the nights we shoot it well maybe it’s a different outcome or we’re right there in a one or two possession game.”

Cohen Bragg scored all seven of his points in the third quarter, but the Cougars trailed 36-21 at the end of the period. Van Wert’s final bucket of the game came with under a minute left in the fourth quarter.

The Cougars (3-15, 0-6 WBL) were just 4-of-20 from the floor in the first half and 11-of-42 for the game. Campbell led Van Wert with eight points. Shawnee finished 16-of-39 shooting and 11-of-11 from the foul line, compared to 0-2 by Van Wert. Bertke led all scorers with 12 points and Lynch added 12. The Indians enjoyed a 27-20 rebounding advantage.

Van Wert will play at Kenton on Friday then will host St. Henry on Saturday. Shawnee will host Ottawa-Glandorf in a first place showdown game on Friday, then will entertain Botkins on Saturday.

“I told our guys ‘let’s take a 48-hour mental/physical break from basketball,’” Laudick said. “I told them I want them to be ready to kick the doors in on Monday because they won’t have had a basketball in their hands for two days. We’ll do a lot of shooting and some skill level stuff to prepare for a double weekend.”

Before the game, five seniors were honored – Campbell, Gage Stemen, Kaden Shaffer, Rylan Miller an Colin Haggerty were honored.

Box score

Shawnee 9 11 16 11 – 47
Van Wert 6 2 13 2 – 23

Shawnee: Nick Pasion 2-2-8; Dominic Lynch 5-2-12; Tate Bender 1-0-2; Bennett Bertke 8-5-23; Alex Goldsberry 0-2-2

Van Wert: Conner Campbell 4-0-8; Keaten Welch 3-0-6; Cohen Bragg 3-0-7; Colin Haggerty 1-0-2

JV: Shawnee 37-28