ARCHBOLD – Despite giving up their first 25 point halftime of the year on defense the Lady Titans recovered and dominated the second half to move to 19-2 with a 67-49 victory inside the Thunderdome at Archbold HS.
Visiting OG snagged a 3-0 lead in the opening minute on a Carlie Brinkman free throw and a Katie Kaufman bucket but found themselves stymied by the Streaks defense and leading just 10-5 at the first buzzer.
Karsyn Erford and Kaufman did the lion’s share of the work in the scoring column in the second period as the duo connected for 21 of the 25 points the Titans would amass before the halftime stoppage. Erford, OG’s electric sophomore guard torched the nets for 11 of her game and career high 21 points with a triple and a handful of mid-range jump shots.
Kaufman sliced through the defense for a trio of layups in the post and finished her run of 10 and a near career high of 19 with just seven seconds remaining to send the Titans into the locker rooms ahead 35-25.
Archbold seniors Alayna Perez, Janae Kinsman, Nyah Grime, and Norah Ruffer were honored before their last go-round at the Thunderdome before the game, but the night belonged to their sophomore classmate Miley Gericke.
Gericke paced the Blue Streaks (10-11) in the first half with nine of her team high 13 points and twice pulled them to within a pair of scores through the middle of the second stanza.
Runs from Erford, Kaitlyn Kimmet, and the duo of Liv Grothause and Myka Aldrich in the steal and score game pushed the Titans into a 54-35 lead that saw the visiting blue and gold begin to distance themselves on the scoreboard.
Grothause nearly eclipsed her own career high as she ended with eight points, one shy of teammate Carlie Brinkman’s nine markers on the evening.
Ottawa Glandorf opened the final eight minutes of play with a triple from the right wing by Erford that marked her 21st point, one more than her previous career high of 20 points set twice earlier this season against Toledo Central Catholic and Fort Loramie.
Senior guard Alayna Perez finished with four straight free throw makes in the second half to end the night in double figures with 11 and join Gericke in doing so.
Archbold will be on the road Thursday night at Wauseon in NWOAL play while the Titans will host Defiance in a Western Buckeye League outing before each team kicks off their tournament run next week.
Scoring:
OG (67):
Liv Grothause 8
Karsyn Erford 21
Carlie Brinkman 9
Katie Kaufman 19
Myka Aldrich 4
Kaitlyn Kimmet 6
FT: 11/18
3PT: 3 (Erford 2, Brinkman)
TO: 21
Archbold (49):
Charlee Forward 7
Alayna Perez 11
Miley Gericke 13
Adi Kinsman 1
Grace Meyer 9
Nyah Grime 1
Norah Ruffer 2
Irelyn Selgo 2
Madi Bowers 2
#35 1
FT: 18/30
3PT: 3 (Meyer 2, Perez)
TO: 28
JV: Ottawa Glandorf 41-29 (Ella White 10 pts, Madison McKee 10 pts)