OTTAWA – Opening night proved to be a showcase for two of the Western Buckeye League’s brightest stars under the lights at the Supreme Court as Theo Maag and Colin White teamed up for 35 in the Titans 63-33 thrashing of visiting Bluffton.
Maag, a 6’7 senior notched the first marker of the evening for the Titans just :12 into the game and then utilized his size to exploit the smaller Pirate defenders to add nine more on the way to an 11 point first quarter burst. Not only was Maag effective in the paint offensively, but defensively he was nearly as lethal as he swatted away a handful of Bluffton attempts.
Colin White joined the Titans 13-0 opening game sprint with a basket of his own to push the lead to 8-0 and helped to set up teammates Ty Buckland and eventually Caden Erford for behind the arc to send the game to the first horn 25-5 OG.
Bluffton began to claw back on the scoreboard in the second quarter thanks to triples from Marek Donaldson and Wade Ginther but found their opportunities far between as a nearly four minute span between quarters showed between makes.
White dominated the second period of play for OG offensively as he accounted for nine of his 15 first half points, including a loud throw down that brought the Titan fans to their feat as the squad built a 45-17 halftime lead.
Marek Donaldson put the Pirates offense on his shoulders in the third quarter in an attempt to keep his team in the game as he accounted for all seven points, including his second three point goal of the evening. Ottawa Glandorf got baskets from White, Maag, and Levi Unterbrink with the clock running due to the differential to make it a 56-24 lead heading into the fourth during a run that included White’s second dunk.
Bluffton’s lone senior Carson Soper connected on his fifth triple of the season with three minutes to go to cut the OG advantage to 63-31 after baskets by Brad Maag and Caden Erford provided the finale for the Titans on the opposite end.
The Pirates see their record fall to 0-2 on the season and will head back home for a Saturday afternoon 5pm JV start against Liberty Benton. Bluffton was led by Donaldson who accounted for 12 points.
Ottawa Glandorf (1-0) was paced by White (20), Maag (15), and Erford (10). The Titans will travel to Van Buren on Saturday for a 4pm JV start against the Black Knights.
Scoring:
OG (63):
Grant Schroeder 2
Brad Maag 5
Theo Maag 15
Levi Unterbrink 7
Hunter Stechschulte 4
Colin White 20
Caden Erford 10
FT: 4/8
3PT: 2 (C. Erford 2)
TO: 5
Bluffton (33):
Marek Donaldson 12
Carson Soper 5
Wade Ginther 6
Landen Worcester 2
Brandon Hilty 2
Kaden Lora 4
John-Paul Yoder 2
FT: 2/4
3PT: 5 (W. Ginther 2, Donaldson 2, Soper)
TO: 17
JV: OG 53-51 Bluffton