Miller City’s Maddie Erford attempts to get off a 3-pointer over the outstretched arms of Ottoville’s Paige Turnwald on Thursday night in Miller City.
Nate Reynolds | The Lima News
MILLER CITY — Ottoville’s girls basketball team brought a four-game winning streak into Miller City on Thursday night trying to extend its winning ways. The Wildcats were trying to bounce back after a tough loss to Antwerp.
The Big Green took control early, going on an 11-0 run in the first quarter to take a 12-4 advantage and held on after a valiant Miller City effort in the second half to take a 53-42 nonconference victory.
Both teams struggled in the opening minutes of the game, going a combined 4 for 20 from the field. Ottoville (6-1) used balanced scoring from Brooklyn Koester (12 points) and Carly Thorbahn (11 points).
Maddie Erford took control for Miller City (3-3), tallying a game-high 22 points in the Wildcats’ effort.
Erford broke up the early spurt for the Wildcats in the second quarter with a shot from the paint to cut the deficit to 15-6, Jordan Schnipke (13 points) followed up with a bucket of her own at the 5:55 mark, but that would be the last for the hosts until Erford connected again with 6 seconds left before the break.
In the interim, Ottoville went on another streak, this one of the 8-0 variety, and took a 24-11 lead into the half.
Schnipke tacked on the first two points of the second half for the Wildcats, but the Thorbahn twins Erica and Carly used some twinepathy moments later as Erica drove the baseline and instead of taking the easy layup fired a no-look shot to her sister in the corner; Carly drained the three to put the Big Green up 27-13.
Erford got in the triple action on the next trip down for the Wildcats. The teams would exchange buckets on the next few possessions as the hosts tried to creep back into the contest.
Miller City got back to within 10 points nearing the end of the third period, but Koester drained a shot at the buzzer making it a 38-25 score heading into the final quarter.
Try as they might in the final stanza, the Wildcats came up just short, despite a 9-4 run late in the game.
Dave Boninsegna wrote this for LimaScores.com.
