CELINA – Ottawa Glandorf stopped a two game losing streak on Thursday night and remained unbeaten in Western Buckeye League play with a 63-34 victory over host Celina.
Tied 2-2 through the opening minute of the game the Titans broke the contest open with four three pointers from Myka Aldrich, Emma Brinkman, and Chloe Schroeder just before the quarter break to cap off a 20-5 first eight minutes. OG raced their advantage on the scoreboard to double digits while holding the Bulldogs to just a single point, a free throw by freshman Kenlee Holstad with 3:43 left that ended an 11-0 Titan run.
Missing five players from their opening day lineup the Titans reached deep into their bench and found themselves rewarded as baskets from six players in the second period ran the lead to 34-15 at the break.
Junior guard Lily Haselman paced the blue and gold attack in the second period as she tossed in four of her six points on the night on back to back baskets off of two Bulldog miscues.
Celina’s Taylor Klingshirn helped her squad pull within 22-6 and 22-11 as part of a six point run punctuated by she and teammate Kyilla Billingsley connected on fast break baskets in a 1:13 minute span.
Late in the third quarter Chloe Schroeder pushed the visitors advantage to 44-19 as she tossed in her second from outside the arc to finish off her career high evening with eight points.
Billingsley, a junior post dominated the Bulldogs offense in the third as she hit for six of her 10 game markers to cut the lead to 44-21 against the Titan reserves.
Trailing 46-23 to begin the final eight minutes the Bulldogs found their markers coming from the hands of their leading scorer Klingshirn who connected on a trio of makes to help cut into the deficit while also leading teammate Kenlee Holstad to her only make from the field with an assist.
Ottawa Glandorf sophomore Myka Aldrich notched a pair of baskets to finish off nine points in the fourth before checking out to watch teamates Kaydree Frey, Ashlyn Siefker, and Megan Horstman account for the final scores of the night to secure the Titans 10th straight win against the Bulldogs.
Celina (3-13, 1-6) was led by the duo of Klingshirn (12), and Billingsley (10) and will take on New Bremen Saturday afternoon at the Fieldhouse before battling Crestview on Tuesday evening.
OG (12-6) remains unbeaten in the WBL at 7-0 and will travel to Minster on Tuesday before returning home to host one loss Shawnee on Thursday evening at the Supreme Court.
Junior Emma Brinkman notched a career high 13 to lead the Titans in scoring.
“This was an important game for us to be able to just work on getting better. I felt like the younger girls took some steps forward. Carlie Brinkman did a good job at the point and Megan Horstman impressed me in her time on the floor. Emma Brinkman hit some big shots for us early and I thought Lily Haselman did a good job of taking what the defense gave her” said Titans boss Troy Yant on his teams performance.
Scoring:
OG (63):
Chloe Schroeder 8
Lily Haselman 6
Ashlyn Siefker 2
Emma Brinkman 13
Myka Aldrich 9
Carlie Brinkman 4
Kaitlyn Kimmet 4
Erin Kaufman 8
Kaydree Frey 3
Megan Horstman 4
FT: 6/12
3PT: 5 (Schroeder 2, E. Brinkman 2, Aldrich)
TO: 13
Celina (34):
Kenlee Holstad 3
Taylor Klingshirn 12
Kira Dirksen 2
Alex Kimmel 1
Payton Bertke 2
Amelia Lutz 2
Kyilla Billingsley 10
Ava Knapke 2
FT: 4/6
3PT: 0
TO: 25
JV: Celina 31-30