DAYTON – Jayden Priddy-Powell started hot for the second straight game on the UD Arena floor and dropped a game high 27 points as the Botkins Trojans secured their first boys basketball state championship on Sunday afternoon with a 60-44 victory over Columbus Grove.
Priddy-Powell, a 5’10 senior who earned first team Shelby County Athletic League honors this season replicated his 5/5 performance from Friday that helped him account for 10 points and improved on that performance in the opening eight minutes of this contest as he connected on all five attempts including a pair of triples for 13 points.
Botkins raced out to a 16-0 lead through the first five minutes of the game on a three point field goal by Zane Paul, a senior playing in his program record 101st career game.
Columbus Grove dented the scoreboard for the first time with 2:58 remaining in the opening stanza on a basket from program all-time leading scorer Blake Reynolds but found themselves behind on the scoreboard 20-7 at the quarter buzzer.
Reynolds and classmate Gabe Clement began to help the Bulldogs turn the tide in the second as the duo connected for all 15 markers in the quarter. Botkins kept their opponents at arms length with a basket by Priddy-Powell and a six point output from 6’5 sophomore Carter Pleiman for a 28-22 halftime advantage.
“I told the kids when we were down 16-0 that if it was anybody else I’d be worried but we’ve been through difficult times before during this tournament run and just to take it play by play and cut into the lead” Grove coach Chris Sautter remarked after the game about the belief and words of wisdom he shared with his team after the slow start.
Led by their mentors advice the Bulldogs responded coming out of the locker room in the third quarter as they would outscore the Trojans over the first half of the third and pull within 28-25 on a triple by Trey Sautter and 34-32 with 1:32 remaining on a make from from deep by school record holder Tayt Birnesser.
Botkins aggressive offensive game led them directly to the free throw line as the trio of Priddy-Powell and Carter and Jacob Pleiman hit on 5 of 6 tosses to keep Bulldogs at bay 37-32 heading into the final eight minutes of play.
A furious defensive effort by the Trojans held Columbus Grove’s sharpshooter Birnesser off of the scoreboard and pushed the scoring load completely onto the shoulders of the duo of Blake Reynolds and senior guard Gabe Clement.
While Clement notched five of his team high 18 points, including an old fashioned three-point play, Reynolds struggled at the line where he connected on just one of his five attempts in the closing moments.
Fueled by their ability to turn Grove miscues into points, Botkins continued to extend their lead as Priddy-Powell and Carter Pleiman combined for 18 of 23 points scored by the Trojans in the last period.
Senior guard Zane Paul, a soccer commit to Heidelberg University knocked down a deep three pointer from the wing as the Trojans began to salt away the final moments of their 60-44 victory.
Blake Reynolds finished the night with 17 points and ends his brilliant basketball career as the all-time leading scorer in program history. Reynolds’ 1584 career points put him in second place in Putnam County history behind Ottawa Glandorf standout Tim Pollitz.
Jayden-Priddy Powell led all scorers with 27 points and finished his brilliant career with 46 points on 19/30 shooting from the floor while connecting on 4/5 from behind the arc. Sophomore Carter Pleiman joined Priddy-Powell in double figures with 17 alongside brother Jacob who ended with 10.
Columbus Grove sees their season finish with a 25-3 record and an 81-25 mark for their seniors while Botkins establishes a new school record for wins in a season with 27 against just three losses and their first basketball state title.
Tayt Birnesser ends his Grove career with 235 made 3’s, second most in Putnam County history behind Miller City’s Aaron Lammers 247 career makes. Birnesser also finishes as the 10th highest scorer in county history and second at Columbus Grove with 1386.
With the win the Trojans become the first team to win a state title on the floor at UD Arena from the Shelby County Athletic League since Fort Loramie was victorious in the 1987 Class-A finals at the home of the Flyers.
Scoring:
Botkins (60):
Zane Paul 6
Jayden Priddy-Powell 27
Carter Pleiman 17
Jacob Pleiman 10
FG: 21/37
3PT: 6/12 (Priddy-Powell 4, Paul 2)
FT: 12/18
REB: 33 (Homan 9)
TO: 9
Grove (44):
Blake Reynolds 17
Tayt Birnesser 8
Gabe Clement 18
Trey Sautter 3
FG: 18/50
3PT: 3/14 (T. Birnesser 2, Sautter)
FT: 5/11
REB: 24 (Reynolds 9)
TO: 6