COLUMBUS – Ottawa Glandorf’s motto has been “just keep playing” despite injuries and setbacks on their way to the Division 3 state finals on Saturday afternoon.
Unfortunately for the Titans their fourth run to the championship game ended with a runner-up trophy on the wrong end of a 58-47 setback to defending champion Africentric in front of nearly 2,800 at UD Arena.
Down multiple times in the game by double digits the Titans did in fact “just keep playing” as they cut the lead back deep into single digits despite losing junior Carlie Brinkman to injury and senior Katie Kaufman early in the first half due to foul trouble.
Faced also with having senior Myka Aldrich partially limited due to a back issue the Titans continued to work down the bench and take the best punches from the Nubians, trailing 15-10 at the end of the opening eight minutes.
Engaged in a tense defensive battle in the second quarter, Africentric outscored OG 6-5 and increased their advantage to 21-15 at the break on the strength of a three point goal by Jeniya Bowers and a bucket from Ashtan Winfrey.
Junior sharpshooter Shaunie Little who engineered the first lead of the game for the Nubians in the opening stanza to counter a 4-0 opening run by OG struck again in the third on an and-one to quell a Titan run and send the lead to 39-30 with 2:05 remaining.
Sophomore standout Karsyn Erford finished the night 9/20 from the field for a game high 18 points to go along with five rebounds and three assists. In the third the 1st team WBL selection took over the scoring mantle for her team by hitting for 10 points and helping to facilitate multiple baskets from teammates in a span that saw Africentric outscore the Titans 23-18.
Division 1 signees Natiah Nelson (Depaul), Samairah Thompson (Buffalo), and Kamryn Grant who will play on the same floor for the Flyers at the next level all reached double figures and combined for 34 markers in the outing. Last season in the finals the same trio hit for 47 in a 13-point win over Chippewa.
Returning from injury early in the game and working with a partially swollen right eye, OG’s Carlie Brinkman showed what she took “just keep playing” to mean as she repeatedly and fearlessly drove through the lane to finish the fourth with seven of her 10 points doing her part to keep her team in the game.
In the end the Titans could never get within close enough striking distance as the trio of Thompson, Nelson, and Grant found baskets to push the Nubians (28-2) to their state record ninth state championship trophy. Africentric’s win breaks a tie with Mount Notre Dame out of Cincinnati who moves down to second place with eight.
Ottawa Glandorf ends their sixth state final four appearance with a 26-3 record and will say goodbye to a pair of seniors Myka Aldrich and Katie Kaufman who finished with two state finals appearances and a trio of Western Buckeye League championships and a 95-18 overall record.
“I’m extremely proud of these girls” said head coach Troy Yant. “These girls won and lost with class and I’m extremely proud of them for that and that they just kept playing.”
Scoring:
Africentric (58):
Ashtan Winfrey 6
Jeniya Bowers 10
Samairah Thompson 12
Shaunie Little 8
Natiah Nelson 12
Kamryn Grant 10
FG: 21/46
3PT: 3/6 (Bowers 2, Little)
FT: 13/14
REB: 34 (11 Offensive – Grant 13)
TO: 19
OG (47):
Liv Grothause 5
Karsyn Erford 18
Carlie Brinkman 10
Katie Kaufman 7
Myka Aldrich 5
Kaitlyn Kimmet 2
FG: 21/51
3PT: 0/4
FT: 5/12
REB: 25 (10 Offensive – Kimmet 6)
TO: 10