Cougs down Wapak; Lancers lose game

DAVE MOSIER/independent sports

With Corey Clifton healthy and their offense firing on all cylinders, the Van Wert Cougars sliced through Wapakoneta 74-33 in a Western Buckeye League contest Friday night. With the win, Van Wert is now 13-2 on the season overall and 4-2 in the WBL, while the Redskins fall to 2-13 and 0-6 in league play.

It was close for a quarter, as the Cougars got off to a somewhat sluggish start, allowing Wapak to keep within 3 points, 17-14, at the end of the first quarter. But the middle quarters were something else again as Van Wert took off the speed regulator and kicked its game into high gear, outscoring the Redskins 46-10 in the second and third periods to lead, 63-24, with a quarter to play.

Both teams played their reserves in the final stanza, with the Cougars outscoring Wapak 11-9 for the final score.

Van Wert had four players in double figures for perhaps its most balanced scoring of the year. Jacob Myers led the team with 20 points, including four three-pointers, while Clifton added 18 points – with three treys – and Jacob Hood and Joe Moonshower both scoring 11 points for the Cougars. Kaleb Vondenhuevel led Wapakoneta with 15 points and was the only Redskin player in double figures.

Van Wert had a good shooting night, hitting 8 of 16 three-point attempts (50 percent) and 18 of 33 shots from two-point range (54.5 percent). The Cougars were 14 of 19 from the free-throw line (73.7 percent). Wapakoneta made 12 of 33 two-point attempts (36.3 percent) and was 1 for 4 from three-point range (25 percent). The Redskins made 6 of 9 shots at the line (66.7 percent).

The Van Wert defense was nearly as effective as the offense, forcing 27 Redskin turnovers and outrebounding Wapak 21-18.

The Cougar junior varsity team was also victorious, beating their Wapak counterparts 48-28 to go to 12-3 on the year. AJ Smith led Van Wert with 15 points, while Chad Phillips added 10 points for the Cougar JVs.

Elsewhere in the county, the Lincolnview Lancers spotted Paulding nine points in the first half and a second-half rally came up just short as the Panthers held on for a 48-45 Northwest Conference victory.

The teams were tied at 9-all at the end of the first quarter, but Paulding outscored the Lancers 12-3 in the second period to lead 21-12 at the half. The Lancers get a point off the lead by the end of the third quarter and outscored the Panthers 20-15 in the final stanza, but it wasn’t enough to steal the win.

Clayton Longstreth led Lincolnview with 13 points, while Sloan Whitaker added 12 points for the Lancers. Devan Bermejo was Paulding’s top scorer with 13 points, while Grant Harder had 10 points for the Panthers, who are now 4-2 in NWC play and 11-5 overall. The Lancers fall to 1-5 in the league, and are 4-11 overall.

Neither team was terrific from the field, with Lincolnview making 16 of 41 field goal attempts (39 percent), including 2 of 9 three-point attempts (22.2 percent), while the Panthers were 16 of 45 from the field (35.6 percent) – including an 0 of 6 performance from beyond the arc. The Lancers did much better at the line, hitting 11 of 14 free throw attempts (78.6 percent), and Paulding made 16 of 28 free-throw attempts (57.1 percent).

The Lancers also outrebounded Paulding 27-19, but also had more turnovers, 9-3, than the Panthers.

The Crestview boys retained their share of the league lead with a 60-38 victory over Bluffton. With the win, the Knights are now 5-1 in the league and 11-3 overall.