OTTAWA – Playing in just her second game of the year due to injury on Thursday night OG sophomore guard Karsyn Erford paced nine scorers with a game high 11 to lead the Titans past visiting Wapak 52-36.
Despite missing the first four games of the season, Erford picked up right where she left off during her freshman campaign that saw her score in double figures 15 times while averaging nearly 10 points per game last year. OG’s second year guard hit for nine of her 11 in the first half during limited minutes and connected on all five of her charity tosses on the evening.
Early on the Titans traded baskets with the Redskins as triples from Wapak’s Kortney Fullenkamp and Kierra Siefring pushed them ahead 8-7 midway through the first.
Ottawa Glandorf utilized scoring from Erford, Kaitlyn Kimmet, and Katie Kaufman to regain the lead and pushed ahead near the quarter break on a three pointer by Carlie Brinkman.
While their offense was busy turning a 16-12 first period advantage into a 28-14 halftime lead, the Titan defense was equally as brilliant as they held the visitors to just a single basket, a make by freshman guard Abby Houser with :10 remaining.
Run out baskets by Kimmet, Kaufman, Erford, and Greta Liebrecht and a 4/4 performance from the line gave the Titans a lead they would never surrender.
“We gave up a lot of second chances in the first half but our defense was much better in the second quarter” said OG mentor Troy Yant.
Sophomore Audrey Welsch knocked down a pair of triples from long distance in the third quarter as part of an eight point period but saw her defense again unable to slow down the Titan attack of Savannah Recker who canned a three pointer of her own to give her team a 31-19 lead.
On the night the Titans connected on 16 of 26 free throws as six different players hit from the charity stripe, three of which did so in the third quarter.
Triples from Riley Szelagowski and Mylie Moser near the end of the contest provided the final punches of Wapak’s offense on the night but 26 turnovers forced the score to not end in their favor.
Early in the fourth quarter for OG the Titans notched a big moment as senior Myka Aldrich, returning from missing two games due to injury scored to take a 46-26 lead and showcase return of the All-American soccer player who provided big moments for the first three games of the season.
“It was nice to get a few players back into the lineup, even if Myka and Karsyn are still on limited minutes after returning from their injuries” said Yant. “We have some things to work on before Saturday’s game but tonight was a win and that’s the more important thing.”
Seven of the scorers for the Titans came from the sophomore or junior class on the evening and represented 41 of the teams 52 points.
“The second half lead allowed us to work on some things and get reps for some of the younger players in some things we wanted to work on” finished Yant’s thoughts on the win after the game.
Wapak falls to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the Western Buckeye League. Next up for the Redskins is a Saturday afternoon non-league tilt against Marion Local. OG (6-0, 2-0) remains unbeaten and will host Toledo Christian at 12:30 in a varsity only matchup Saturday.
Karsyn Erford led all scorers for OG with 11 while Carlie Brinkman netted 10 and Katie Kaufman with nine. The visitors finished with a team high eight from Audrey Welsch to lead their attack.
Scoring:
OG (52):
Liv Grothause 2
Karsyn Erford 11
Carlie Brinkman 10
Savannah Recker 7
Madison McKee 2
Katie Kaufman 9
Greta Liebrecht 3
Myka Aldrich 2
Kaitlyn Kimmet 6
3PT: 2 (Brinkman, Recker)
FT: 16/26
TO: 19
Wapak (36):
Elisabeth Good 6
Audrey Welsch 8
Riley Szelagowski 5
Abby Houser 2
Kierra Siefring 3
Kortney Fullenkamp 3
Mylie Moser 3
Maddison Springer 6
3PT: 6 (Welsch 2, Szelagowski, Siefring, Moser, Fullenkamp)
FT: 2/7
TO: 26
JV: Ottawa Glandorf 41-35 (G. Liebrecht 11 pts)