ELIDA – It wasn’t pretty but as the old adage goes, “a win’s a win” for Ottawa Glandorf on Thursday night at the Fieldhouse in Elida.
OG (22-2) struggled shooting the basketball early but found their stroke behind the duo of Karsyn Erford and Carlie Brinkman who combined for 26 in the 41-26 victory over Parkway.
Brinkman kicked off a 12 point run by the duo with five minutes remaining in the opening scoreless first period while Erford canned a triple to run the lead to 5-2 en route to a 16-7 lead at the first stoppage.
Parkway senior Paige Williamson kept the Panthers afloat in the middle segment of the second quarter as she engineered a five point personal run that cut the lead to 21-12. Unfortunately for Parkway (16-7) the Titan defense would limit the scoring outside of Williamson to just a single free throw from Bryn Schoenleben to amass a 23-13 halftime lead. Williamson finished as the game’s co-leading scorer with 14 points.
Held to just seven points in a quarter for the first time in nearly a month, the Titans were outscored in the third as well, 11-9 by the Panthers but were able to keep themselves in front by no less than nine thanks to a Liv Grothause basket.
Over the final eight minutes the guests on the scoreboard found themselves swallowed up at times by the Ottawa Glandorf defense and were limited to just one basket, a make by sophomore Brittyn Bruns. For their part the Titans pushed through just enough markers to secure the 15-point win with a triple from Carlie Brinkman, and four free throws and a basket by Erford and senior Katie Kaufman.
The Panthers will say goodbye to seniors Frankie Steinbrunner, Alexis Berry, Audrey Nichols, and leading scorer Paige Williamson who finished their high school careers with a record of 59-29 and a Midwest Athletic Conference Co-Championship as juniors.
Ottawa Glandorf will return to the Elida Fieldhouse, a place they have emerged victorious in 17 of their last 19 visits on Saturday at 2pm to do battle with NWC Champion Delphos Jefferson, winners over Allen East in the late game 49-45.
Scoring:
OG (41):
Liv Grothause 4
Karsyn Erford 14
Carlie Brinkman 12
Katie Kaufman 4
Myka Aldrich 4
Kaitlyn Kimmet 3
FT: 6/10
3PT: 5 (Erford 2, Brinkman 2, Kimmet)
Parkway (26):
Brittyn Bruns 2
Bryn Schoenleben 3
Paige Williamson 14
Megan Hughes 7
FT: 2/4
3PT: 4 (Williamson 4)
TO: 16