ELIDA – Ottawa Glandorf utilized double digit scoring and runs from three players on Thursday night as they raced past Fairview 64-49 inside the Elida Fieldhouse to claim a spot in the district finals on Saturday afternoon.
Fairview jumped out to a handful of first period leads on the hot shooting from Kelly Crites and Carrie Zeedyk to race ahead 5-0 and ultimately 11-8 before the Titans took over on the scoreboard.
OG senior Chloee Glenn tied the game at 11-11 after a make by teammate Carlie Brinkman with 1:17 remaining and watched as freshman teammate Karsyn Erford notched baskets with :28 and no time remaining to give the Titans a 15-13 advantage as part of a seven point first half.
“Karsyn did a great job of helping out at the point while still getting buckets and being dialed in on defense” spoke Troy Yant of his freshman guard.
The Titans swipe and score mentality led by senior Lily Haselman continued to produce high caliber results in the opening moments of the second as baskets by Erford and a triple by Kaitlyn Kimmet helped advance the lead. Glenn, playing in just her 10th game of the season due to injuries took over the second stanza as she worked against three and sometimes four defenders for eight points in the paint to reach double digits.
Showing her ability to influence the game in multiple ways, Glenn nailed a corner three pointer with the clock winding down to give the Titans a 32-21 lead at the break.
Senior sharpshooter Carrie Zeedyk, the GMC Player of the Year showed off her range from deep in the third period as she knocked down a trio of shots from well beyond the arc that pulled the Apaches within 38-32 during a run at 3:19. Unfortunately for Fairview they were unable to get any closer as the Titan duo of Carlie Brinkman and Katie Kaufman continued to pump in shots in the paint and stick their free throws to send the game to the final eight minutes at 46-33.
Brinkman, a 5’7 sophomore shot nearly as many free throws (11) during the contest on her way to a career high 10 points as she had all season (15) while connecting on six attempts.
Three triples by Zeedyk, Kelly Crites, and at the end of the game by Madisen Sharp helped shape the final margin for the Apaches who were held to just a pair of makes from inside the field in the second half in addition to six three point goals and six free throws.
Karsyn Erford led the charge for the Titans in the fourth period from the line, hitting on 5 of 6 while Brinkman and Glenn each pushed through a pair of their own to help secure the win. Ottawa Glandorf as a team hit 17 of 26 while Fairview knocked down 10 of 14.
“Tonight was a great team win. Lily did an excellent job keeping their point guard out of the paint and it was nice to see Chloee setting the tone getting buckets. Katie Kaufman got us some big buckets in the second half but I felt it was our bench that brought excellent energy in addition to quality minutes” said Yant.
Fairview (19-5) senior Carrie Zeedyk led all scorers with 23 in the game and connected on six shots from behind the arc in her final game as an Apache.
Ottawa Glandorf (21-3) was paced by the trio of Chloee Glenn (season high 19), Karsyn Erford (12), and a career high 10 from Carlie Brinkman. Next up for the Titans is a Saturday afternoon 2pm matchup against Delphos Jefferson, winners over Allen East in the opening game 49-36. Last season OG knocked out the Wildcats in the district finals in Elida 43-42 on a game winning three pointer by Lily Haselman.
Scoring:
OG (64):
Karsyn Erford 12
Lily Haselman 2
Myka Aldrich 4
Carlie Brinkman 10
Kaitlyn Kimmet 9
Katie Kaufman 8
Chloee Glenn 19
FG: 25/52
3PT: 4/15 (Kimmet 3, Glenn)
FT: 17/26
TO: 10
Fairview (49):
Carrie Zeedyk 23
Madisen Sharp 3
Kelly Crites 13
Allison Rhodes 7
FG: 15/38
3PT: 9/25 (Zeedyk 6, Crites 2, Sharp)
FT: 10/14
TO: 16