Ottawa-Glandorf’s Karsyn Erford absorbs a hit as she splits a pair of Parkway defenders Thursday night in the Division III district semifinal at the Elida Fieldhouse.
Jessica Trinko | The Lima News
ELIDA — Ottawa-Glandorf slowed way down, but it still got to the same destination, the district championship game.
The high-powered Titans backed into a slower, defensive-driven gear but still came away with a 41-26 victory against Parkway in the Division III district semifinals at the Elida Fieldhouse. It was their lowest-scoring output since a 35-25 win against Smithville on Jan. 14.
“We did what we had to do to win. It wasn’t pretty. It was a slugfest,” Ottawa-Glandorf coach Troy Yant said. “They were really aggressive in the paint and kind of took us out of what we normally do.”
Karsyn Erford led the Titans (22-2), ranked No. 3 in the final Associated Press poll, with 14 points, while Carlie Brinkman added 12, including seven points in a first-quarter run that turned a close game O-G’s way. Brinkman also finished the game with a team-high five steals.
“We knew she could do it. Obviously, we needed it,” Yant said of Brinkman. “… When you’re left with no layups, it’s nice to see Carlie come up and give us that edge there.”
Paige Williamson led Parkway with 14 points. Megan Hughes pulled down six rebounds for the Panthers, who finished the year at 17-7.
Ottawa-Glandorf advanced to Saturday afternoon’s championship game against Delphos Jefferson, which topped Allen East in Thursday’s nightcap. The game will be played at 2 p.m. on Saturday at the Elida Fieldhouse.
Neither team scored for the first three minutes of the game. Once the lid came off the bucket, the Titans went on an 11-0 run to turn a 5-5 game into 16-5 near the end of the first quarter.
The Titans never led by more than 12 points, but they didn’t need a high-scoring output this time around. Parkway provided tight defense throughout, keeping the Titans from driving to the bucket the way they might like.
Ottawa-Glandorf forced 12 first-half turnovers and held a 16-9 edge on turnovers overall. The Titans also had a 26-24 rebounding edge, led by four rebounds apiece by Katie Kaufman, Myka Aldrich, and Kaitlyn Kimmet.
“They did a good job keeping the game in striking distance,” Yant said. “Our girls had to grow up a little bit tonight, and they did.”
Ottawa-Glandorf 41, Parkway 26
Parkway 7 6 11 2 — 26
Ottawa-Glandorf 16 7 9 9 — 41
PARKWAY
Brittyn Bruns 2, Bryn Schoenleben 3, Paige Willamson 14, Megan Hughes 7. Totals: 10-2-26.
OTTAWA-GLANDORF
Alivia Grothause 4, Karsyn Erford 14, Carlie Brinkman 12, Katie Kaufman 4, Myka Aldrich 4, Kaitlyn Kimmet 3, 0. Totals: 14- 8- 41.
3-pointers: P-Williamson 4. O-G-Brinkman 2, Erford 2, Kimmet 1.
Reach David Trinko at 567-242-0467 or on Twitter @Lima_Trinko.
