Bath, Kalida advance in Tip-Off Classic

BATH TOWNSHIP - Once Bath gains the momentum, it's very difficult to slow them down.

This fact was evident in Friday's Kewpee Tip-Off Classic as Bath went on a 17-0 run late in the first quarter and pulled away from Delphos St. John's, en route to a convincing 75-45 win.

After St. John's took a 12-11 lead late in the first quarter, Bath heated up from the field, rolling to a 20-12 advantage by the end of the first quarter.

By halftime, Bath pushed its lead out to 35-20. In the second half, it wasn't much different as Bath outscored St. John's 40-25 in the final two quarters.

With the win, Bath will play Kalida in the championship game at 8 p.m. tonight. Kalida defeated Elida, 61-50, in the first game to advance. Elida will face St. John's in the consolation game, set to tip-off at 6:30 p.m.

The Mauk twins, Rachel and Stefanie, both scored 20 points apiece to lead Bath. Stephanie Sanders scored 15 points and had four assists, while Nicki Hopkins scored 13 points, including two 3-pointers to help lead Bath.

Bath coach Greg Mauk said his team played a very aggressive game.

"Defensively, I thought we looked pretty quick out there," coach Mauk said. "I thought McKenzie Snoke did a nice job of guarding Victoria Recker.

"That was her job - to deny her (Recker) the basketball and to stick with her. She knows she's not going to be the scorer out there. But, she knows if she plays good defense and causes some turnovers, then she'll get a lot of playing time."

For the game, Bath made 25-of-48 from the field for 52 percent. From the free throw line, Bath sank 16-of-20 for 80 percent.

In the first game, Kalida nearly saw its 19-point third-quarter lead fade away as Elida cut the deficit to 54-46, with two minutes left to play.

Kalida made 10-of-11 from the charity stripe in the first three quarters, but struggled from the line in the fourth quarter, making just 5-of-14 in the final quarter.

Kalida coach Karl Lammers said he was relieved to get out with the victory, but said he was not satisfied with his team's overall performance.

"I thought we did not play with enough intensity, especially at the defensive end," Lammers said. "But, when we needed the big plays, we got them.

"I thought our guards - Emily Turnwald and Stacie Heitmeyer - played really well," Lammers said. "They made the shots when we needed it."

Turnwald led Kalida with 16 points, including three 3-pointers. Heitmeyer added 12 points for the Wildcats.

Chelsea Mathias led Elida with 19 points, including three 3-pointers. She also pulled down six rebounds. Teammate Amber Saddler scored 11 points and came away with a game-high 12 boards.