OTTAWA – Ottawa Glandorf moved to 10-0 on the season Tuesday night at the Supreme Court as they took down Route 65 rival Columbus Grove 54-39 in a battle of state ranked squads.
Karsyn Erford and Kaitlyn Kimmet notched a game high 17 points each for the #2 ranked Titans while the ninth ranked Bulldogs were paced by senior Lauryn Auchmuty’s 17.
“I’m just happy to get out with a win tonight after having school cancelled and no practice yesterday,” said O-G head coach Troy Yant. “I was nervous coming in to the game and the way it went in the first half, I thought for sure it was going to be a close one.”
Columbus Grove (11-2) wasted no time in the game as Auchmuty connected on her 54th triple of the season just :33 into the contest to push the Bulldogs ahead 3-0. Freshman Aubrey Schroeder’s first of two baskets gave Grove back the lead at 7-6 before a run by Erford and triples from Kimmet and Kaelyn Grothause pushed the hosts to a 19-13 quarter lead they would never relent.
With scoring at a premium in the second quarter, the teams combined for 16 points to send the teams to the locker room in a two point game at the break.
“We challenged the girls to play better, be better, and come out with more energy at the halftime break,” said Yant. “
Yant’s challenge was accepted by his Titan troops in the third quarter as the Supreme Court began to rain blue and gold clad triples. Ottawa Glandorf scored seven makes in the period with five being from behind the arc.
Junior Karsyn Erford and senior Carlie Brinkman splashed down a pair from long distance while senior Kaelyn Grothause helped push the lead to 36-26 with her second make of the evening from deep.
“It was so nice to have Kaelyn in our normal rotation without limits and to see her get hot with those two threes,” said Yant.
Columbus Grove was held to seven makes from the field in the second half with none coming from behind the arc. Overall the Bulldogs ended with just Auchmuty’s three ball in the first quarter and finished 1/20 as a team in the game while being held to their lowest offensive output of the season.
Junior Nicole Nesby and freshman Aubrey Schroeder scored eight points each for the Bulldogs who have now dropped consecutive games this season and return to action on Thursday when they travel to Lima Central Catholic.
O-G hit a season high eight triples spread out amongst four players, and out rebounded the Bulldogs 30-23.
“We’ve got some things to clean up, but I thought both Gracie Lammers and Madison McKee came in tonight and gave us some good rotations we can build on for the future,” said Yant. “Karsyn was steady and kept us ahead of everything Auchmuty was doing, and Kimmet was a consistent force for us.”
Thursday night the Titans will seek their 24th straight Western Buckeye League victory as they play host to the Elida Bulldogs.
Scoring:
O-G (54):
Liv Grothause 6
Karsyn Erford 17
Carlie Brinkman 6
Madison McKee 2
Kaelyn Grothause 6
Kaitlyn Kimmet 17
FT: 8/17
3PT: 8 (Erford 3, K. Grothause 2, C. Brinkman 2, Kimmet)
TO: 14
Columbus Grove (39):
Lauryn Auchmuty 17
Allison Thompson 6
Nicole Nesby 8
Aubrey Schroeder 8
FT: 2/5
3PT: 1/20 (Auchmuty)
TO: 15
JV: Ottawa Glandorf (10-0) 41-19