Columbus Grove’s Zach Reynolds shoots against Perry’s Marcus Hill during Saturday’s game at Columbus Grove High School.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News
COLUMBUS GROVE – A team effort led Columbus Grove to its fourth win in five games Saturday night.
It took four quarters for the Bulldogs (4-1) to pull away from Perry.
The Commodores (3-6) had difficulty with turnovers out of the gate but found success when they held onto the ball. It just wasn’t enough to hold off the Bulldogs, who bounced back following a disappointing loss to Van Wert.
“We’ve got a couple long and athletic guys that are ball hawks,” said Columbus Grove coach Connor Kohls. “Kyle Hopkins and Landon Best played strong on the wings. They’re good at understanding different looks and capitalized tonight.”
Best went for a game-high 24 points. Bo Birnesser added 15 for the Bulldogs, who outscored Perry 31-17 in the second half.
“I think Landon (Best) realized tonight that he could get downhill. In the second quarter he saw a couple easy ones go in and then he just started filling up the scorebook,” Kohls said. “He trusts himself and the work that he puts in. He gave our team a big lift.”
For Perry, Marcus Hill tallied 14 points, followed by Za’Mere Daniel who added 12.
Redemption
Ottoville avenged a double-overtime loss to Crestview in last year’s regional finals with a 15-point victory on Friday night.
The Big Green (6-2) went on a late run to hand the Knights (7-3) their second loss in the past three games.
“We wanted to make it difficult for them on post entries,” Ottoville coach Keith Utendorf said. “We got that accomplished. We had good defense denying the entry pass and our back-side help was very good. We were also quick to recover to our respective men.”
Wren and Connor Sheets combined for just 10 of Crestview’s 37 points. Kellin Putman led the way with nine.
Ottoville netted a late triple to nab a 32-31 lead to start the final quarter, then scored 10 straight point to build up an 11-point lean. From there, Ottoville canned all 11 free throws to win going away.
Michael Turnwald and Jace Langhals were Ottoville’s top scorers with 12 and 10 points respectively.
Hegemier wins No. 600
SPENCERVILLE – A strong second-half effort led St. Marys to its fourth consecutive win and Dan Hegemier’s 600th in his long-tenured career.
Thirty-eight years ago, Hegemier made his head coaching debut at Waynesfield-Goshen. Over the course of nearly four decades, he’s made pit stops at Spencerville, Fort Loramie and New Knoxville and before settling down a second time at St. Marys.
“I have been fortunate to be at places that have had really good players,” Hegemier said about his 600th career win. “It all comes down to the players and the coaching staff.”
Cobain Owens of St. Marys briefly exited the game with an injury but returned with Roughriders down 11 in the third quarter and led the comeback, scoring 18 points on the night.
All five starters scored in the fourth quarter for St. Marys and their lead grew as high as six points.
Spencerville’s Carter Suhoff led all scorers with 20 points, while Evan Osting tallied 11.
Balanced effort
MILLER CITY — In the nightcap of the Miller City/Toledo Christian boys-girls doubleheader, the host Wildcats were trying to make it a clean sweep on the evening. The Eagles had other things in mind.
Toledo Christian used a balanced scoring effort with four players in double figures including Karter Koester with 20 and Conye Gaston with 18 points to give the Eagles a 69-59 victory.
Brandon Barlage led Miller City (6-2) with 20 points. Andon Ruhe contributed 13 in the effort.
The Wildcats made a run of it in the final eight minutes. Ethan Barlage brought the Wildcats within two at 56-54 with a shot from the paint with 6:04 left. However, the Eagles tied it on the next trip down court, then the game teetered back and forth on the next few possessions.
Toledo Christian pulled away behind late buckets from Kalon Butler (14 points) and Xandry Hesson (11 points).
Big scorers
Several area boys basketball players crossed the 15-point plateau in recent games.
• Waynesfield-Goshen’s Levi Glick scored 32 points, leading the Tigers past Ada.
• Jordan Priddy of LCC scored 25 points in a 26-point victory over Shawnee.
• Cameron Elwer of St. John’s scored 25 points in a win over cross-town rival Jefferson.
• Landon Best of Columbus Grove scored 24 points in a 60-50 win over Perry and 20 points against Van Wert on Friday night.
• Colin White of Ottawa-Glandorf scored 21 points in a loss to LCC and 20 points in a win over Canton Central Catholic.
• Carter Sudhoff of Spencerville had 20 points in a narrow loss to St. Marys.
• Bryce Gasser of Fort Jennings had 20 points, including six in the first and fourth quarters in a five-point win over Temple Christian.
• David Etzkorn paced Elida with 20 points in a double overtime win over New Bremen.
• Brandon Barlage paced Miller City with 20 points in a losing effort against Toledo Christian.
• Terron Boblitt of Bluffton scored 19 points, including five 3-pointers, as Bluffton won at the Bluffton McDonald’s Holiday Tournament.
• Zack Zimmerman of Ada scored a team-high 19 points in a loss to Waynesfield-Goshen.
• Zamere Daniel led Perry with 18 points, including 14 in the first half in a loss to Elida.
• Cobain Owens of St. Marys led the way with 18 points in a four-point victory over Spencerville.
• Alex Sanders had 16 points for Upper Scioto Valley in their two-point win over Ridgemont.
• Seth Sharp scored 16 points in Elida’s win over New Bremen.
• Bo Birnesser of Columbus Grove tallied 15 points in the Bulldogs’ 10-point win over Perry.
• Adam Hoersten of Fort Jennings scored 15 points, five of them in the fourth quarter against Temple Christian.
Western Buckeye League
`WBL`All
Elida `1-0 `7-1
Ottawa-Glandorf `1-0 `7-1
St. Marys `1-0 `5-2
Shawnee `1-0 `5-4
Celina `1-0 `3-3
Kenton `0-1 `5-3
Wapakoneta `0-1 `5-4
Defiance `0-1 `3-5
Van Wert `0-1 `2-7
Bath `0-1 `0-7
Northwest Conference
Bluffton `1-0 `6-1
Spencerville `1-0 `4-3
Leipsic `1-0 `4-3
Columbus Grove `1-0 `4-1
Allen East `0-0 `2-3
Delphos Jefferson `0-1 `1-6
Crestview `0-1 `7-3
Lincolnview `0-1 `4-4
Ada `0-1 `1-7
Northwest Central Conference
Elgin `2-0 `3-6
Upper Scioto Valley `2-0 `3-5
Perry `1-0 `3-6
Cory-Rawson `1-0 `1-6
Ridgemont `1-1 `5-4
Ridgedale `0-2 `3-2
Temple Christian `0-1 `4-4
North Baltimore `0-1 `2-2
Hardin Northern `0-1 `1-6
Waynesfield-Goshen `0-1 `1-5
Putnam County League
Pandora-Gilboa `2-0 `8-0
Miller City-New Cleveland `1-0 `7-2
Ottoville `0-0 `7-2
Columbus Grove `0-0 `4-1
Fort Jennings `0-0 `3-6
Continental `0-0 `1-8
Leipsic `0-2 `4-3
Kalida `0-1 `0-9
Toledo City Athletic League
Toledo Start `3-0 `6-4
Lima Senior `2-1 `4-3
Toledo Scott `2-1 `4-4
Toledo Bowsher `1-1 `2-6
Toledo Woodward `0-1 `1-6
Toledo Rogers `0-2 `3-6
Toledo Waite `0-2 `0-8
BOYS BASKETBALL RESULTS AND SCHEDULE
Friday
Ottoville 53, Crestview 37
Elida 69, New Bremen 67, 2OT
Fort Jennings 56, Temple Christian 51
Findlay 82, Lima Senior 59
Lincolnview 56, Kalida 49
Miller City 59, Tinora 48
Pandora-Gilboa 53, Patrick Henry 29
St. Marys 54, Spencerville 50
Van Wert 60, Columbus Grove 51
Saturday
Lima Central Catholic 56, Ottawa-Glandorf 54
Ottoville 53, Van Wert 42
Columbus Grove 60, Perry 50
Lima Senior 63, Reynoldsburg 62, 2OT
Tuesday, Jan. 2
Arcadia at Ada, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 5
Ada at Bluffton, 7:30 p.m.
Crestview at Columbus Grove, 7:30 p.m.
Delphos Jefferson at Allen East, 7:30 p.m.
Delphos St. John’s at New Bremen, 7 p.m.
Elida at Ottawa-Glandorf, 7:30 p.m.
Hardin Northern at Waynesfield-Goshen, 7:30 p.m.
Kalida at Lima Central Catholic, 7:30 p.m.
Kenton at Bath, 7:30 p.m.
Leipsic at Spencerville, 7:30 p.m.
Perry at Upper Scioto Valley, 7:30 p.m.
Shawnee at Celina, 7:30 p.m.
Start at Lima Senior, 7:30 p.m.
Temple Christian at Ridgedale, 7:30 p.m.
Van Buren at Pandora-Gilboa, 7:15 p.m.
Wapakoneta at St. Marys, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 6
Columbus Grove at Fort Jennings, 7:30 p.m.
Delphos Jefferson at Celina, 5 p.m.
Delphos St. John’s at Shawnee, 7:30 p.m.
Elida at Coldwater, 7:30 p.m.
Kalida at Spencerville, 6 p.m.
Ottawa-Glandorf at Liberty Center, 7:30 p.m.
Ottoville at Minster, 7:30 p.m.
Van Buren at Bluffton, 6:30 p.m.
Waynesfield-Goshen at Vanlue, 7:30 p.m.
GIRLS BASKETBALL RESULTS AND SCHEDULE
Tuesday
Arlington 42, Fort Jennings 37
Wednesday
Bath 43, Coldwater 31
Columbus Grove 62, Cory-Rawson 25
Elida 57, Van Buren 50
Lima Senior 46, New Knoxville 45
Thursday
Bluffton 47, Kenton 46
Elida 50, Lima Senior 37
Findlay 50, Shawnee 27
Kalida 47, Archbold 33
Miller City 46, Tol. Christian 44
Ottawa-Glandorf 47, Convoy Crestview 45
Upper Scioto Valley 52, Continental 39
Van Buren 45, New Knoxville 35
Wapakoneta 61, Sylvania Southview 35
Waynesfield-Goshen 48, Ada 45
Today
Delphos St. John’s 55, Fort Jennings 51
Fort Loramie 55, Ottawa-Glandorf 52
Delphos Jefferson 71, Van Wert 42
Olentangy 75, Wapakoneta 32
Tuesday, Jan. 2
Waynesfield-Goshen at Indian Lake, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 4
Allen East at Delphos Jefferson, 7:30 p.m.
Bath at Kenton, 7:30 p.m.
Bluffton at Ada, 7:30 p.m.
Celina at Shawnee, 7:30 p.m.
Columbus Grove at Crestview, 7:30 p.m.
Kalida at Ottoville, 7:30 p.m.
Lincolnview at Lima Central Catholic, 7:30 p.m.
New Bremen at Delphos St. John’s, 7 p.m.
Ottawa-Glandorf at Elida, 7:30 p.m.
Spencerville at Leipsic, 7:30 p.m.
Pandora-Gilboa at Van Buren, 7:30 p.m.
St. Marys at Wapakoneta, 7:30 p.m.
St. Ursula at Lima Senior, 7:30 p.m.
Upper Scioto Valley at Perry, 7:30 p.m.
Waynesfield-Goshen at Hardin Northern, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 5
Continental at Miller City, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 6
Ada at Arcadia, 2:30 p.m.
Bluffton at Pandora-Gilboa, 1:30 p.m.
Elida at Botkins, 1:30 p.m.
Fairlawn at Waynesfield-Goshen, 12:30 p.m.
Ottoville at Columbus Grove, 1:30 p.m.
Spencerville at Fort Jennings, 1:30 p.m.
