Cougs outlast Elida for sectional title

DAVE MOSIER/independent sports

LIMA – The Van Wert Cougar boys had themselves a battle, but earned their first sectional title in a few years with a 55-50 victory over Elida in the Division II tournament at Lima Senior High School.

Van Wert’s offense sputtered uncharacteristically as the roundball just wouldn’t go through the hoop the way it usually does for the normally hot-shooting Cougars. Van Wert shot 39.6 percent from the field, with a 20-of-43 performance from two-point range, but only making 1 of 10 three-point attempts. The Cougars were 12 of 18 from the free-throw line (66.7 percent). The Bulldogs hit only 8 of 25 two-point tries (32 percent), but canned 6 three-pointers in 20 attempts (30 percent). Elida made 15 of 20 free-throw attempts (75 percent).

Corey Clifton led Van Wert with 22 points, including an 8-for-9 night at the charity stripe, while Jacob Myers added 10 points for the Cougars. Reggie McAdams led all scorers with 26 points on the night, including five treys and a 5-for-8 night at the line. Dakota Matthias was also in double figures for the Bulldogs with 14 points.

Van Wert had an 11-7 lead at the end of the first period and was up by five, 25-20, at the half. The Cougars made it an eight-point advantage, 38-30, heading into the final stanza of play, but Elida wasn’t about to play dead at that point.

The Bulldogs kept coming back, getting the lead down to just a point in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t stop Van Wert from putting a little breathing room in the score before Elida could tie the game or take a lead.

The Bulldogs outhustled Van Wert on the boards, bringing down 30 rebounds to 23 for the Cougars. But Van Wert excelled in the takeaway department, giving up just four turnovers, while forcing 18 miscues out of Elida.

The Cougars, now 17-4, while now play Fostoria in a Division II District semifinal game held at Ohio Northern University in Ada on Wednesday, March 11. The Redmen eked out a 67-64 double-overtime win over Lima Bath in a sectional championship game at Riverdale. Elida ends its season at 13-9 on the year.

Also a winner at Lima Senior was Celina, which easily handled Wapakoneta 70-42 to win the other sectional title. The Bulldogs will play Tiffin Columbia, which defeated Kenton 53-44. The winner of both those games will play in the Division II district championship game at ONU.

Also Friday, the Crestview Knights did everything but win as they took Delphos St. John’s to the wire in a 44-43 loss in one of the Van Wert Division IV sectional championship games.

The Knights had St. John’s on the ropes in the first quarter, nearly doubling the score on the Blue Jays to take a 15-8 lead by the time the quarter was over. St. John’s had cut the lead to five, 23-18, by halftime and were behind by just a basket, 31-29, heading into the final stanza.

The final quarter was back-and-forth, but the Blue Jays had more at the end to eke out the victory.

The Knights were led by Steven Rickard’s 19 points, while Dallis Gibson added 10 points for Crestview. St. John’s had only one player in double figures, Derek Klaus with 10 points, but had seven players score overall, with Curtis Geise adding 9 points for the Jays.

Spencerville won the second game of the Van Wert sectional championships, downing Ottoville 46-34. Eli Bowers led the Bearcats with 13 points, while Daniel Binckley canned 10 points and Levi Krouskop added 9 for Spencerville. The Big Green was led by Scott Pohlman’s 12 points.