Delphos Jefferson’s Lyv Lindeman drives to the basket against Columbus Grove’s Kendal Palte during Thursday’s game at Delphos Jefferson High School.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News
DELPHOS – Delphos Jefferson senior standout Lyv Lindeman would not be denied.
At the end of the third quarter of Thursday’s key Northwest Conference girls basketball game against visiting Columbus Grove, Delphos Jefferson was clinging to a 37-36 lead over the Bulldogs.
In the final eight minutes of the game, Lindeman took over.
Lindeman, a Tiffin University commit, scored 16 of her game-high 35 points in the fourth quarter to help lead Delphos Jefferson to a hard-fought 55-47 victory over Columbus Grove.
With the thrilling win, Delphos Jefferson (19-3, 7-1 NWC) earned a share of the Northwest Conference title with Crestview. Crestview (20-2, 7-1 NWC) defeated Lincolnview 62-33 on Thursday to notch its piece of the conference crown.
With Thursday’s loss, Columbus Grove slipped to 16-5 overall and 6-2 in the NWC.
Lindeman was 14 of 18 shooting from the free-throw line on Thursday. She also came away with five rebounds, four assists, four steals, and two blocks.
“My parents always tell me, ‘You can’t cheat it’,” Lindeman said with a grin. “And I know I didn’t cheat it. I put in the extra time. When the game is on the line, I’m ready to take over. I’m pretty confident of that, and I have amazing teammates that have my back.”
Along with Lindeman’s stellar performance on Thursday, Lauren French (6-foot-3, senior) had 10 points and 13 rebounds. Madison Burris added nine points, including two 3-pointers for the Wildcats.
Nicole Nesby (6-foot, sophomore) led Columbus Grove with 18 points and 10 boards. Lauryn Auchmuty scored 17 points, including four 3-pointers. Auchmuty also came away with eight rebounds from the guard spot. Kendal Palte added nine points, five rebounds, and four steals for the Bulldogs.
Forcing first-half frustration
ST. MARYS — Bath’s defense and length has the ability to suffocate opposing teams.
And that’s exactly what the Wildkittens did to St. Marys during a 40-28 win on Thursday night.
Bath (16-6) forced nine first-half turnovers and held St. Marys (11-11) scoreless for a stretch that lasted eight minutes, turning a tie game into a nine-point lead at the break.
“They’re tough. Their length made it hard on us and we didn’t shoot it well,” St. Marys coach Scott Jordan said. “We were kind of stagnant and settled for some long threes and you can’t do that against a good defensive team. They’re quick, they’re aggressive and they’re physical.”
The Wildkittens limited St. Marys to two points in the second quarter. With 59 seconds left in the first quarter, the game was tied 8-8. At the half, Bath held a 19-10 lead.
“I thought in the first half we played really well,” Bath coach Greg Mauk said. “We only had three turnovers at halftime, which is huge for us. And we were able to come down and get some easy shots. I thought that was what really set the tone for the game.”
Kelsie Carlson led all scorers with 13 points. Faith Clark added nine points on a trio of three-pointers.
Reese Rable had a team-high seven points for St. Marys.
At times, the offensive end was Bath’s biggest struggle. Anne Oliver had an uncharacteristic night, going 0 for 7 from the field and finishing with just two points, but freshman Marlie Mason provided some reinforcements off the bench.
Mason scored six of the Wildkittens’ nine second-quarter points and finished the game with seven.
“Her (Marlie Mason’s) contribution in the first half was huge for us. Anne (Oliver) struggled early on. I don’t think she made a field goal in the first half and she’s our leading scorer. So for Marlie to step up for us as a freshman is big.”
Fighting for all 40 minutes
OTTOVILLE — On Tuesday evening at LW Heckman Gymnasium, Ottoville and Liberty-Benton tuned up for their respective tournament runs with the postseason just one week away.
Ottoville (17-5) looked as if it were going to escape with a win in regulation, but Corra Dehart had other plans. Liberty-Benton’s freshman forward drained a three at the buzzer to tie the score at 31, sending the game to overtime.
But just one extra period wouldn’t be enough.
The Eagles survived the marathon contest with the help of Sophia Barbara, who nailed a three and went 4 of 6 from the line in double overtime to lift Liberty-Benton (16-5) to a 46-43 victory.
“Their size wore us down. We gave up way too many offensive rebounds and we just weren’t strong enough to keep them from getting those second chances,” Ottoville coach Vaughn Horstman said. “We had our chances from the field and at the line, but their length bothered us. Credit to our defense. That was the best defense I’ve seen us play in a while. We played hard in a tournament-like atmosphere.”
Lauren Gerken paced Liberty-Benton with 19 points, while Erica Thorbahn had 12 points for Ottoville.
Postseason preparation at its finest
KALIDA – Kalida girls basketball coach Adam Huber wants his team to be prepared for the upcoming postseason tournament, which starts next week.
Huber felt like playing one of the better teams in the Midwest Athletic Conference could certainly help.
In Tuesday’s non-league matchup with visiting Minster, Kalida battled back to force overtime and then pulled away in the extra session for a hard-fought 40-32 victory over Minster at Richard L. Kortokrax Court.
With the win, Kalida improved to 15-6. Minster slipped to 15-6.
“I like this game, (played) this time of the year,” Huber said. “It’s a great non-league game, late in the season. Everyone wants to win, but it really doesn’t matter if you lose the game. … It’s that tournament preparation that you get.”
Avrie Unverferth led Kalida and all scorers on Tuesday with 12 points. Unverferth scored all seven of her team’s first-quarter points. Malia Romes, a 6-foot-2 sophomore wing player had eight points, six rebounds, and three blocks.
Addi Inskeep paced Minster with nine points and four boards. Inskeep recorded seven points in the first quarter.
Returning to form
LIMA — Shawnee got some much-needed reinforcements on Saturday.
After missing the past four games with a knee injury, Grace Freiberger returned to the lineup, scored 17 points, and led the Indians to a 56-27 win over LCC.
During Freiberger’s absence, the Indians went 0-4 and averaged just 23 points per game on offense.
“She (Freiberger) helps us in every aspect of the game,” Shawnee coach Rachel Rumbaugh said. “Obviously on offense, but she’s also our best defender. We also got Kamryn (Morris) back today, so it was really good to have almost the whole team back together.”
Morris missed Shawnee’s 52-13 loss to Ottawa-Glandorf on Thursday. Both Morris and Freiberger came off the bench on Saturday, which Rumbaugh said was her way of easing her two starters back into the lineup.
Freiberger and Morris checked in at the 4:27 mark of the first quarter and immediately sent the Indians on a 10-0 run.
“It’s so nice to be back out there with my teammates. I really missed it,” Freiberger said. “Everything felt off at first, but I felt some relief when I saw the ball go in a few times. Everything started to click and I found myself again.”
“She (Freiberger) gives the other girls confidence,” Rumbaugh said. “Having her on the floor just does so much for us.”
Morgan Betts added 10 points on the afternoon for Shawnee, followed by Brynn Patterson with eight and Haileigh Stump with six. Kamryn Morris had four points in her return.
Aubrey Frankhouser scored a team-high 15 points for LCC.
Big scorers
Several area girls basketball players topped the 15-point plateau in recent games:
• Grace Freiberger of Shawnee scored a game-high 27 points in a loss to Kenton.
• Maddy Burris of Delphos Jefferson had 24 points in a 56-23 win over Fort Jennings.
• Macee Heckathorn scored 22 points in Kenton’s win over Shawnee.
• Sidney Payne of Kenton dropped 22 points in her team’s 14-point win over Shawnee.
• Karsyn Erford set a new career high of 21 points in Ottawa-Glandorf’s win over Archbold.
• Raegan Hutchison of Waynesfield-Goshen had 20 points and 15 rebounds in a win over Ridgemont. She added 17 points in a win over Ridgedale.
• Katie Kaufman of Ottawa-Glandorf scored 19 points in a 71-20 win over Defiance.
• Rilynn Jones of Allen East led all scorers with 19 points in a win over Botkins.
• Heidi Keller of Spencerville had 18 points in a 60-28 win over Ada.
• Whitney Unverferth of Kalida had 17 points and three steals in a 67-9 win over Continental.
• Khaliah Luster scored 17 points in Perry’s conference-clinching win over Ridgedale.
• Ava Henry of Leipsic scored 16 points in a 20-point victory over Cory-Rawson.
• Tatelyn Faraglia of Waynesfield-Goshen contributed 16 points to a win over Ridgedale. She added a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds against Ridgemont.
• Lexanna Lee of Perry scored 15 points in a comfortable 30-point win over Vanlue.
GIRLS BASKETBALL STANDINGS
Western Buckeye League
`WBL`All
Ottawa-Glandorf`9-0`20-2
Bath`8-1`16-6
St. Marys`6-3`11-11
Kenton`5-4`11-11
Wapakoneta`4-5`10-12
Shawnee`4-5`8-13
Van Wert`4-5`6-16
Elida`3-6`6-16
Celina`1-8`7-15
Defiance`1-8`2-20
Midwest Athletic Conference
`MAC`All
St. Henry`7-2`17-5
Marion Local`7-2`15-7
Versailles`7-2`15-7
Minster`6-2`15-6
Parkway`5-4`16-6
New Bremen`4-4`10-11
Coldwater`3-6`10-12
Fort Recovery`3-6`8-14
St. John’s`1-8`4-17
New Knoxville`1-8`3-19
Northwest Conference
`NWC`All
Crestview`7-1`20-2
Columbus Grove`6-2`16-5
Delphos Jefferson`7-1`19-3
Allen East`5-2`19-2
Lincolnview`4-4`12-10
Spencerville`3-5`12-10
Leipsic`2-6`10-12
Bluffton`1-7`7-15
Ada`0-8`9-13
Northwest Central Conference
`NWCC`All
Perry`7-1`15-6
Elgin`6-2`14-7
Waynesfield-Goshen`6-2`11-11
Ridgedale`5-3`11-11`
Cory-Rawson`5-3`6-16
Upper Scioto Valley`3-5`7-15
Ridgemont`3-5`4-17
Hardin Northern`1-7`4-18
North Baltimore`0-8`1-20
Putnam County League
`PCL`All
Ottoville`6-1`17-5
Kalida`6-1`16-6
Columbus Grove`5-1`16-5
Miller City`3-3`14-7
Leipsic`3-4`10-12
Pandora – Gilboa`2-4`8-13
Fort Jennings`1-5`3-18
Continental`0-7`0-22
Toledo City Athletic League
`TCAL`All
Rogers`6-1`14-7
Start`6-2`8-12
Bowsher`4-2`11-10
Scott`5-4`13-8
Lima Senior`3-4`10-12
Woodward`2-6`4-11
Waite`0-7`2-16
RESULTS AND SCHEDULE
Tuesday
Kalida 40 Minster 32
Liberty-Benton 46, Ottoville 43
Parkway 36, Spencerville 29
Coldwater 47, Elida 37
Ottawa-Glandorf 67, Archbold 49
Wapakoneta 48, Fort Recovery 45
Fort Loramie 53, Marion Local 30
St. Henry 42, Anna 32
Ayersville 58, Continental 25
Thursday
Spencerville 60, Ada 28
Delphos Jefferson 55, Columbus Grove 47
Crestview 62, Lincolnview 33
Bath 40, St. Marys 28
Wapakoneta 37, Celina 26
Van Wert 44, Elida 35
Ottawa-Glandorf 71, Defiance 20
Kenton 74, Shawnee 60
Coldwater 59, Delphos St. John’s 30
Perry 39, Ridgedale 24
Waynesfield-Goshen 54, Ridgemont 43
Elgin 58, Hardin Northern 28
Kalida 67, Continental 9
Friday
Games ended after The Lima News deadline. Find scores, game stories, photos and more on LimaScores.com.
Miller City at Fort Jennings, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Columbus Grove at Pandora-Gilboa, 12 p.m.
Allen East at Shawnee, 1:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 21
LCC at Cory-Rawson, 7 p.m.
Delphos St. John’s at Leipsic, 7 p.m.
Fort Jennings at Pandora-Gilboa, 7 p.m.
Continental at Lincolnview, 7 p.m.
New Bremen at Spencerville, 7 p.m.
Hardin Northern at Marion Local, 7 p.m.
Waynesfield-Goshen at Ada, 7 p.m.
Bluffton at Paulding, 7 p.m.
Lima Senior at Mansfield Madison Comprehensive, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 22
Defiance at Bath, 7 p.m.
Van Wert at Elida, 7 p.m.
Shawnee at Rogers, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 24
Elmwood at Ottawa-Glandorf, 7 p.m.
BOYS BASKETBALL RESULTS AND SCHEDULE
Tuesday
Lima Senior 51, Scott 44
Bluffton 73, Elida 66
LCC 58, Delphos Jefferson 42
Miller City 60, Perry 46
Waynesfield-Goshen 64, Fairlawn 61
Thursday
Lima Senior 63, Rogers 44
Spencerville 60, Ada 16
Friday
Delphos St. John’s at Coldwater, 7 p.m.
Spencerville at Ada, 7:30 p.m.
Allen East at Bluffton, 7:30 p.m.
St. Marys at Bath, 7:30 p.m.
Delphos Jefferson at Columbus Grove, 7:30 p.m.
Elida at Van Wert, 7:30 p.m.
Continental at Kalida, 7:30 p.m.
Ottoville at LCC, 7:30 p.m.
Lima Senior at Scott, 7 p.m.
Ottawa-Glandorf at Defiance, 7:30 p.m.
Perry at Ridgedale, 7:30 p.m.
Kenton at Shawnee, 7:30 p.m.
Cory-Rawson at Temple Christian, 7:30 p.m.
Wapakoneta at Celina, 7:30 p.m.
Ridgemont at Waynesfield-Goshen, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Delphos Jefferson at Elida, 4:30 p.m.
Allen East at Bath, 6 p.m.
Ottawa-Glandorf at Lexington, 6:30 p.m.
Columbus Grove at Miller City, 7 p.m.
Ada at Temple Christian, 7:30 p.m.
Pandora-Gilboa at Fort Jennings, 7:30 p.m.
Lima Senior at LCC, 7 p.m.
Leipsic at Ottoville, 7:30 p.m.
Wayne Trace at Shawnee, 7:30 p.m.
Spencerville at Parkway, 7:30 p.m.
Coldwater at Wapakoneta, 7:30 p.m.
Waynesfield-Goshen at Mechanicsburg, 7:30 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 19
Bath at St. Henry, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 20
Kalida at Shawnee, 7:30 p.m.
LCC at Liberty-Benton, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 22
Paulding at Miller City, 7 p.m.
Fort Jennings at Leipsic, 7:30 p.m.
Continental at Pandora-Gilboa, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 23
Hicksville at Miller City, 7 p.m.
Marion Local at Delphos St. John’s, 7 p.m.
LCC at Arlington, 7:15 p.m.
Lincolnview at Ada, 7:30 p.m.
Columbus Grove at Allen East, 7:30 p.m.
Van Wert at Bath, 7:30 p.m.
Paulding at Bluffton, 7:30 p.m.
Delphos Jefferson at Spencerville, 7:30 p.m.
Shawnee at Elida, 7:30 p.m.
Ayersville at Kalida, 7:30 p.m.
Wayne Trace at Ottoville, 7:30 p.m.
Perry at Ridgemont, 7:30 p.m.
Waynesfield-Goshen at Temple Christian, 7:30 p.m.
Defiance at Wapakoneta, 7:30 p.m.
Kenton at Ottawa-Glandorf, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 24
LCC at Defiance, 6 p.m.
Ada at Vanlue, 7:30 p.m.
Allen East at Perry, 7:30 p.m.
