Boys hoops: Cougars, Knights, Lancers win

VW independent sports

Van Wert 54 Coldwater 42

Zach Crummey scored 17 points, Cohen Bragg added 14 points and Van Wert was able to pull away from a stubborn Coldwater squad 54-42 on Saturday.

The Cougars led 14-10 at the end of the first quarter, then Crummey and Bragg combined for 12 points in the second quarater, including a tip-in at the buzzer by Bragg, to give Van Wert a 29-21 halftime lead. Undaunted, the Cavaliers opened the third period with an 8-2 scoring run to make it 31-29, but the Cougars answered with 10 unanswered points, including a hook shot down low by Crummey and a finger roll by Xavier Kelly. Van Wert led 43-31 to start the fourth quarter and battled foul trouble and an injury to Kelly, who went down with about three minutes left in the game and did not return. Kelly finished with 11 points. Nolan Gruss led Coldwater (7-7) with 11 points and Landon Knapke added 10.

Van Wert (13-3) will host St. Marys Memorial on Friday.

Crestview 66 Celina 63 (OT)

CELINA — It took an extra four minutes but Crestview earned its fourth straight victory with a 66-63 overtime win at Celina on Saturday.

Hayden Perrott, who on Friday signed a letter of intent to play collegiate basketball at the University of St. Francis-Fort Wayne, led all scorers with 32 points, including five points in overtime.

Perrott scored eight points in the opening quarter and the Knights led 15-12 at the end of the period. He added seven more in the second quarter to help Crestview to a 31-25 lead at the break. 10 third quarter points, including a pair of treys, came from Perrott and the Knights took a three point lead, 45-42 into the fourth quarter. Will Sheets scored seven of his 13 points in the final regular period but Celina’s Gavin Wicker countered with eight points and the Bulldogs tied the game 57-57, forcing overtime.

Cash Hammons scored 10 points for Crestview, while Wicker led Celina (4-10) with 24 points. Two other Bulldogs finished with double digits – Logan Billerman had 14 points and Caleb Schlater had 10 points.

Crestview (11-6) will return to action Saturday at Hicksville. 

Linconlview 56 Parkway 46

It wasn’t easy but Lincolnview was able to celebrate its Winter Homecoming with a 56-46 win over Parkway on Saturday.

The Lancers had to rally in the second half to get the victory. Parkway led 14-8 after the first quarter and 33-23 at halftime. However, Lincolnview put the clamps on defensively in the second half while outscoring the Panthers by a 33-13 margin, including 18-8 in the third quarter.

Max Hammons led the Lancers with 17 points, Gavin Evans had 15 points and 10 rebounds and Marshall Hammons finished with 14 points and six rebounds. Bosten Korte led Parkway with 18 points.

Lincolnview (14-2) will host Allen East in a key NWC game on Friday, then will travel to Division VII No. 1 Delphos St. John’s on Saturday. Parkway (5-10) will travel to Coldwater on Friday and will host Fort Jennings on Saturday.