OTTAWA – It wasn’t always pretty for host Ottawa Glandorf Thursday night at the Supreme Court as the Titans improved to 2-0 in Western Buckeye League play by knocking off Kenton 60-43.
O-G survived 12 early turnovers and a multiple basket deficit in the opening period of play before closing the quarter on an 11-4 run to take a 16-10 lead.
Kenton sophomore and leading scorer Sidney Payne proved to be too much in the early going for the Titans (4-0, 2-0) as she amassed a personal six point run to put the Wildcats on top 6-2. Despite the hot start from the 5’10 standout, Kenton was unable to keep the momentum as they committed 10 first quarter miscues of their own.
Though Payne’s score to open pulled the Wildcats (3-2, 1-1) close in the opening of the second, the Titans began to find their stride and increase their lead into double digits.
Senior Megan Horstman splashed home her second triple of the first half to break her career high of seven points and give the Titans a 26-16 lead. Kaitlyn Kimmet produced her own career high tying output just two days earlier against Liberty Benton and found herself in the starring role for O-G before the half as she accounted for eight of her 10 points in the game before the half.
While helping to push the pace and distribute to teammates was the mission in the first half, junior Karsyn Erford hit the scoring column with a vengeance in the second half. Armed with a bevy of on point passes from teammate and runouts from Kimmet rebounds, the Titans leading scorer dropped in shot after shot in the final 16 minutes to finish with a game high 18 markers for O-G.
“I thought Kimmet came out in the second half and helped pace us,” said Ottawa Glandorf head coach Troy Yant. “After we stopped giving away the ball I thought we played a little better as a team, but we have a lot of work to do.”
Ottawa Glandorf suffered the highest of the highs and lowest of the lows in the second half of play. Junior Savannah Recker, a key contributor to the Titans pressure defense knocked down a triple in the third but was unable to finish the contest as she was injured with minutes to go in the fourth.
“Obviously the injury to Savannah hurts us a lot because she does so much for us,” said Yant.
Kenton’s seniors and freshmen led the way in the scoring column in the second half as first year guard Brylee Bostelman hit three long distance shots for her nine points. Fourth year players Kyla Bostater and Macee Heckathorn combined for six of their 13 markers in the final two stanzas.
Sidney Payne led the way for the Wildcats with 11, seven and a half points under her average. Kenton is next back in action on Tuesday as they travel to take on Liberty Benton in a non-league clash.
Four Titans finished the night in double figures. Erford led the way with 18 and was joined by Liv Grothause (12), Kaitlyn Kimmet (10), and the aforementioned career high from Megan Horstman who ended with 10.
The Titans have now taken 13 straight from the Wildcats and will be off until Monday when they welcome in Patrick Henry in a WBL vs NWOAL tilt.
Scoring:
OG (60):
Liv Grothause 12
Karsyn Erford 18
Carlie Brinkman 3
Megan Horstman 10
Savannah Recker 3
Leah Escamilla 2
Kaitlyn Kimmet 10
Libbie Niese 2
FT: 14/18
3PT: 4 (Horstman 2, Erford, Recker)
TO: 22
Kenton (43):
Kyla Bostater 9
Jazlynn Long 2
Sadie Larrabee 7
Brylee Bostelman 9
Sidney Payne 11
Macee Heckathorn 4
Olivia Nolting 1
FT: 9/14
3PT: 4 (Bostelman 3, Bostater)
TO: 28
JV: Ottawa Glandorf 52-18 (O-G 4-0)