CONVOY – Friday night Crestview added a record 19th Northwest Conference Championship to the trophy case at CHS with a 64-52 victory over visiting Leipsic.
Mason Brandt recorded 31 points and broke the school record for career points with a fourth quarter dunk but it wasn’t enough as the Knights utilized timely three pointers and late free throws to secure the victory.
Crestview jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead on baskets and a three point play from Gavin Etzler and Rontae Jackson in the opening minutes before Brandt got the visitors on the board with 5:02 remaining in the period.
Leading 9-4 to begin the second stanza the Knights slammed their foot on the gas pedal as a trio of players knocked down six shots from behind the arc on the way to a 29-16 halftime advantage. Gavin Etzler poured in three triples while Jackson added a pair and Nate Lichte forced a timeout with an 18-8 lead at 4:33 to go with his splash from deep.
“Those second quarter three’s were huge. Crestview hit a few that were contested and a desperation make to end the half that were big time makes for kids playing for a league title. As we were trying to find our footing they were dropping in dagger after dagger” said Leipsic coach Chris Kuhlman about the Knights run from deep before the half.
Opposite of the fast and furious first half played by the two squads, the third quarter resembled more of a demolition derby with points hard to come by. Crestview junior sub Nasir Easterling tossed in two of his teams three makes from the field in the middle of the period on the offensive end while utilizing his height to help keep Leipsic’s scores to just a three and a pair of two’s from Mason Brandt to send the game to the final eight minutes at 40-25 Crestview.
Three pointers were the story of the first half but the fourth period was ruled by free throws as the teams combined to shoot 26 of 30 from the line as the foul count raced into the double bonus on both sides of the scoreboard.
Crestview’s Mitch Temple connected on all five of his tosses starting with 6:58 to keep the Knights ahead by double digits before the Leipsic trio of Mason Brandt (7/8), Quin Schroeder (2/2), and Paul Maag (3/4) repeatedly trimmed the deficit into single figures with their makes.
6’5 freshman Wren Sheets dominated the scoring for the hosts in the fourth as he accounted for 10 of his 14 markers in the period and helped to force a handful of Leipsic miscues on the defensive side.
Mason Brandt, a senior headed to the University of Findlay eclipsed Nick Kreinbrink’s 1353 career points to take over the all-time Leipsic mark and will enter the postseason just 42 points shy of becoming the all-time leader in a single season for points scored in Putnam County history.
Crestview was led by Gavin Etzler with 15 points, Wren Sheets with 14, and Rontae Jackson with 12 and finished the regular season with a 15-6 record and a share of the league’s crown with Bluffton. Tournament play will begin for the Knights on the 25th of February with a trip to Van Wert and a date with the winner of Patrick Henry of Fort Jennings as the opponent.
Leipsic ends their first NWC campaign at 14-8 overall and 4-4 in league play and will start their postseason at Bluffton University on Febrary 25th against either Cory-Rawson or PCL mate Kalida.
Scoring:
Crestview (64):
Gavin Etzler 15
Rontae Jackson 12
Mitch Temple 5
Carson Hunter 5
JJ Ward 6
Nate Lichtle 3
Nasir Easterling 4
Wren Sheets 14
FG: 20/45
3PT: 6/19 (Etzler 3, Jackson 2, Lichtle)
FT: 18/23
TO: 11
Leipsic (52):
Mason Brandt 31
Quin Schroeder 2
Caleb Ellerbrock 2
Paul Maag 13
Estevan Carrillo 4
FG: 17/45
3PT: 2/9 (Brandt 2)
FT: 16/18
TO: 16
JV: Crestview 43-33