HAMLER – Ottawa Glandorf outscored Patrick Henry on Monday night 30-16 in the second half on the road to secure their eighth win of the season.
Leading 22-14 at the halftime break the Titans pressure defense forced 10 Patriot miscues while holding the hosts scoreless for nearly seven minutes in the third period while amassing 15 points of their own.
Sophomore Karsyn Erford led all scorers for the second consecutive game as she hit for 18 points, including a six point personal tally in each of the final two stanzas. Since returning to the OG lineup Erford has averaged 14 points per game while helping the turn opponent mistakes into transition points at a high rate.
Junior forward Kaitlyn Kimmet sprayed a triple from deep in each of the first three quarters to finish with 11 for her third double digit scoring of the season and help OG down Patrick Henry for the ninth straight time.
“Karsyn and Kaitlyn hit enough shots to give us some offense when a lot of our layups weren’t falling tonight” said Ottawa Glandorf mentor Troy Yant.
Patrick Henry senior Karsyn Weber’s first quarter three point goal gave the hosts a 3-0 lead early in the contest but would be a short lived lead and the only one enjoyed by the Patriots before a shot by Katie Kaufman and a free throw from Kimmet tied the score.
Baskets by Erford and Megan Horstman sent the Titans out to a 15-7 lead at the first stoppage. Early in the second stanza the guests moved their lead ahead to 20-9 on a triple and free throw by Kimmet for the last of her eight first half markers.
Saddled by foul trouble in the first half, Patrick Henry leading scorer Ada Christman notched her only point of the game with a free throw in the opening moment of the third. Junior Kasey Nelson’s three pointer with 7:10 pulled the Patriots within 22-18 before a 15-0 run from Myka Aldrich, Kimmet, Liv Grothause, Erford, and Carlie Brinkman.
Defensively, the Titans Megan Horstman did nearly everything she could to keep the host offense at bay, including diving head first after lost balls near the sideline to attempt to procure the ball for her team.
“We’ve got some things to work on in transition, and in our half court offense but I thought our defense was pretty good and it definitely frustrated them” said Yant. “Tonight wasn’t what you would script but with being our fourth game in seven days with only two practices throughout it was still a 20 point game. We get two days to practice some things that have prevented us from playing better before we go to Napoleon on Thursday.”
Patrick Henry (3-3) was led in scoring by Karsyn Weber with seven and will next travel to Putnam County on Thursday night for a non-league clash with Continental.
Ottawa Glandorf (8-0) remains unbeaten ahead of a trip to the Grand Canyon on Thursday to tangle with a Napoleon squad they’ve defeated the last seven times the two programs have matched up.
Scoring:
OG (52):
Liv Grothause 6
Karsyn Erford 18
Carlie Brinkman 3
Madie Liebrecht 2
Megan Horstman 3
Katie Kaufman 4
Myka Aldrich 5
Kaitlyn Kimmet 11
3PT: 4 (Kimmet 3, Horstman)
FT: 6/16
TO: 8
Patrick Henry (30):
Kasey Nelson 6
Carys Crossland 4
Kya Seeman 3
Karsyn Weber 7
Sophie Guelde 2
Grace Haas 2
Ada Christman 1
Kenzie Prigge 5
3PT: 5 (Nelson 2, Seeman, Weber, Prigge)
FT: 4/9
TO: 24
JV: OG 38-12