LEXINGTON – Punctuated by a fourth quarter spent knocking down free throws the Ottawa Glandorf Titans clinched their fifth trip to the state tournament with a 38-30 victory over Africentric and avenged last seasons loss to the Nubians.
Ottawa Glandorf found themselves at the charity stripe early and often in the fourth period of play in the form of Chloee Glenn, Katie Kaufman, Erin Kaufman, and for a good portion of the time senior Kelsey Erford.
Though makes by Glenn and both Kaufman sisters extended the 21-14 lead OG entered the stanza with it was Erford who continued to keep the lead near double figures as she connected on eight of her ten tosses on the way to a game high 13 points.
Early in the fourth Africentric got within 21-16 on a deep two pointer by Arianna Smith. Smith, a senior headed to play collegiately at Indiana State did a bulk of the work on the scoreboard for the Nubians by knocking down a pair of deep three point goals and three free throws for 11 of her 13 markers.
Unfortunately for Africentric they were unable to cut into the deficit they faced while OG continued to add free throw makes as the hounding Titan defense forced turnovers or errant passes that sailed to the back walls of Lexington High School.
Perhaps fueled by their 38-34 loss to the Nubians in the 2020 Lexington regional finals the Titans came out on a mission in the first period as they snagged a pair of leads just before the buzzer on baskets in the post by sophomore Chloee Glenn who snuck behind the defense for a pair of layups.
Africentric was held scoreless in the first nearly three minutes of the second quarter before evening the score up at 9-9 with 5:26 on a make by Anyiah Murphy that would represent the only Nubian basket until a triple by University of Pittsburgh signee Maliyah Johnson with 1:00 left in the opening half to cut the Titan lead to 13-12.
OG’s Kelsey Erford raced through the would be defenders and into the lane for a pair of floaters that kept the visiting team on the scoreboard in control of the lead in the second as well as a free throw by Erin Kaufman for the only markers of the period on their side.
Held to another long drought of 4:01 to start the third quarter the Nubians only basket came from Johnson to trim the lead to 15-14 before a 6-0 run from Glenn, Katie Kaufman, and a triple by Anna Siefker for a 21-14 score heading into the fourth.
Africentric’s season ends at 11-3 while Ottawa Glandorf improves to 25-2 and will play in the Division 3 State Semifinals at 5:00 P.M. on Thursday against Apple Creek Waynedale in a game broadcast live from UD Arena on WZOQ Radio
Box Score:
OG (38):
Kelsey Erford 13
Anna Siefker 3
Myka Aldrich 1
Erin Kaufman 9
Katie Kaufman 2
Chloee Glenn 10
FG: 9/40
3PT: 1/7 (Siefker)
FT: 19/26
REB: (E. Kaufman 9, Glenn 7)
TO: 14
Africentric (30):
Arianna Smith 13
Anyiah Murphy 7
Maliyah Johnson 8
Kamryn Grant 2
FG: 9/34
3PT: 4/13 (Smith 2, Murphy, Johnson)
FT: 8/13
REB: 25 (Johnson 11)
TO: 17