Lancers top Knights, off to regional final

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports

BOWLING GREEN — In the end, the long ball was the difference during Thursday night’s Division VI regional semifinal game between Van Wert County rivals Lincolnview and Crestview at Bowling Green State University.

Lincolnview connected on 9-of-23 three point attempts during the game, including five by junior guard Max Hammons, while Crestview struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 3-of-21 long distance attempts. In front of a sizable crowd at the Stroh Center, the Lancers (22-5) posted a 53-46 win, putting them in the regional finals for the first time since the 2015-2016 season.

“What a fun game and awesome atmosphere for our guys and our fans,” Lincolnview head coach Brett Hammons said after the game.

Lincolnview’s Holden Price opened the game with a triple then later in the first quarter, Max Hammons hit a pair of treys, including one that gave the Lancers a 14-8 lead, a score that stood at the end of the period. Crestview’s big man, Will Sheets, scored six straight points in the quarter.

A bucket by Hammons gave Lincolnview a 16-8 lead very early in the second quarter and it looked like the Lancers were primed to pull away. However, the Knights put in nine unanswered points, including a trey by Owen Heckler and back-to-back baskets by Sheets, giving Crestview a 17-16 lead about halfway through the second period. After the Lancers were held scoreless for just over four minutes, Chayse Overholt drilled a three pointer to put Lincolnview back on top, only to see Liam Putman tie the game 19-19 with a pair of foul shots. Two more free throws, this time by Hayden Perrott put Crestview ahead 21-19, but a bucket and free throw by Hammons with a minute left gave Lincolnview a 22-21 lead, which was the halftime score. 

Putman and Perrott scored back-to-back baskets early in the third to give Crestview a 25-22 lead and after Hammons popped in another three pointer, a bucket by Sheets put the Knights ahead 27-26. However, it was the final time Crestview would enjoy a lead in the game. Jackson Ingledue zipped in a trey with roughly 90 seconds left in the third quarter, then another triple by Hammons with three seconds remaining gave Lincolnview a 35-31 lead to start the fourth quarter. Putman scored twice before the end of the period and went on to finish with 10 points. Sheets finished with 19 points and 15 rebounds.

In the fourth quarter, Hammons drilled a trey from the top of the key with 5:34 left, then Ingledue hit one from nearly the same spot to put the Knights up 45-35. Later in the quarter, Heckler drained a three pointer that pulled the Knights to within four, 50-46 with 50 seconds left, but the Knights could draw no closer.

“I’m really proud of our guys staying with it and continuing to keep fighting and getting better after a really tough start to the season,” Crestview head coach Doug Etzler said. “To start the year 2-5 and then earning the right to play in the regional tournament at the Stroh is a huge accomplishment. We would have loved to have a chance to play on Saturday but these guys have it everything we had. We just came up short against a really good team tonight.”

While Hammons was Lincolnview’s only double digit scorer with 24 points, Gavin Evans finished with nine points and nine rebounds.

“We have been watching Max and Gavin do what they did tonight on a day to day basis all year,” the elder Hammons said. “We have come to expect that out of them. The great thing tonight was that they did it under those circumstances and in that environment tonight. Big time game from both of them.”

The game was the final one for five Crestview seniors – Perrott, Putman, Hecker, Huxley Grose and Braxton Leeth. 

Lincolnview will face Col. Crawford in the regional semifinals at 6 p.m. Saturday at Bowling Green. The Eagles defeated Seneca East 56-33 in the first game. Saturday’s game will air live on 99.7FM WKSD.

“It feels great to be playing in the regional finals,” Hammons said. “We are so proud of our guys for the way they have competed all year. Nobody ever expected us to be in this situation and we can’t wait for Saturday.”

Box score

Lincolnview  14   8  13  18 – 53

Crestview      8  13  10  15 – 46

Lincolnview: Holden Price 2-0-5; Max Hammons 7-5-24; Zander Coil 0-1-1; Jackson Ingledue 2-0-6; Gavin Evans 3-3-9; Chayse Overholt 2-0-5; Marshall Hammons 1-1-3

Crestview: Hayden Perrott 2-2-7; Liam Putman 4-2-10; Cash Hammons 1-0-2; Owen Heckler 3-0-6; Will Sheets 8-3-19