FINDLAY – Liberty Benton senior Lauren Gerken had a record night on Thursday evening in the Eagles 58-27 victory over visiting Celina to kick off the OHSAA tournament.
Gerken, a 6’1 senior, BGSU commit, and reigning BVC Player of the Year broke a pair of long standing records on her way to a game high 26 points.
With the Eagles in control of the scoreboard thanks to an early second quarter run, Gerken snatched the Liberty Benton all-time scoring record of 1,868 points with a triple from the wing to run her total to one point higher and send the home crowd into a frenzy.
Liberty Benton’s new all time leading scorer nails her 1,869th point
Congrats @GerkenLauren #ThatMomentWhen pic.twitter.com/zcqGj1Tcyu
— Michael Hirn (@MichaelHirnPBP) February 23, 2024
Katie Butler, a 2003 graduate of LBHS had previously held the record for the Eagles until the ninth point of the game for Gerken pushed her into the lead.
Leading 33-11 at the halftime break the hosts didn’t have to wait long to see Gerken eclipse the all-time Hancock County scoring record as she slid past the Bulldogs defense for a left handed layup and her 1,877th career marker. Cory Rawson’s George Keller established the previous mark that had stood since 1955, 110 points more than the previous second place finisher Chad Keller (1,766, Van Buren 1986).
#ThatMomentWhen @GerkenLauren breaks a record that has stood since 1955, passing Cory Rawsons George Keller to become the all time leading scorer in Hancock County History with 1877 pts. pic.twitter.com/Dkx4MElHzt
— Michael Hirn (@MichaelHirnPBP) February 23, 2024
Previous to Gerken, two Liberty Benton boys had themselves made a run at the record with Nathan Hyde (1,750), and Aaron Craft (1,628) ending their careers within striking distance of Keller.
Rachel Rammel and Brooke Baucher accounted for every one of the Bulldogs 11 points in the first half, and even had the game tied at 2-2 in the first but were unable to keep pace with the Eagles as they turned 13 first half green miscues into points.
Senior sharpshooter Addi Crow benefited from the extra bodies surrounding Gerken for the evening as she connected on four shots from behind the arc on the way to 12 points. Freshman Corra Dehart splashed through a pair of long distance makes herself in the first quarter on the way to 10 points as well.
Rammel again paced the offense in the second half as she erupted in the third quarter for seven points, the only points of the stanza for the visitors and ended her sophomore season with a team high 17.
Liberty Benton (18-5) will return to action on Saturday at 7pm as they host Wauseon in a sectional finals tilt. Celina’s season comes to an end at 7-16.
Scoring:
LB (58):
Lindsay May 6
Sophia Barbara 2
Megan Gerken 2
Lauren Gerken 26
Addi Crow 12
Corra Dehart 10
FT: 9/11
3PT: 7 (Crow 4, Dehart 2, L. Gerken)
TO: 5
Celina (27):
Rachel Rammel 17
Brinley Korte 4
Alex Kimmel 2
Brooke Baucher 4
FT: 6/8
3PT: 3 (Rammel 3)
TO: 22