Golden Knights take to the road, upset Bulldogs, 52-46
On the road at Crestline on Feb. 2, Northmor took a first-quarter lead and held on against a fourth quarter rally to defeat the host Bulldogs 52-46. The win evened the Golden Knights’ record at 9-9 (5-6 in KMAC), while the favored Bulldogs fell to 13-7 and 5-3 in Mid-Buckeye play.
Grant Bentley started the ball rolling for the Golden Knights with eight first-quarter points, as five Northmor scorers combined for a 17-point start. Lucas Cochran scored seven of his game-high 21 points in the first for Crestline, who fell behind 17-12 after one.
In the second, Northmor put 11 points through the net and Bentley led the four scorers that quarter with six points. The Bulldogs were held to seven as Northmor assumed a 28-19 halftime advantage. Cochran added seven more for Crestline in the second.
A dozen more points by the Knights in the third matched Crestline’s output. Four Northmor scorers divided up the scoring and four Crestliners did the same for their team.
Northmor wrapped up the six-point victory with a 12-point quarter. Six Northmor players scored two points each in the frame. Crestline poured in 15 in the final quarter to make it close, but the Knights prevailed by six. Conner Lusk hit two threes in the fourth for six of his game-total 11.
Bentley led Northmor with six field goals and six-for-six at the line for 18 points. Max Lower hit for 10 and Caleb Schnuerer put in nine points to pace seven Golden Knights scorers in the stat sheet.
Northmor made it a two-win week, with a 60-25 road rout over Cardington-Lincoln on Feb. 25. The Knights led from start to finish, holding the Pirates to two points in the first and 10 points at halftime. Northmor countered with 15 in the first and 19 in the second for a 34-10 lead at the break. Bentley put up 10 points in the first and Schnuerer hit a pair of threes in the second. Coasting in the second half, Northmor continued to build on the lead and went home with the 35-point win.
Bentley’s 24 and Schnuerer’s 11 led eight Northmor scorers, and Gavyn Crockett’s seven led C-L. Northmor moved to 10-9 (6-6 KMAC) and Cardington-Lincoln dropped to 3-14 (1-10 KMAC).
Kennon hits 27, Mount Gilead routs Ridgedale, 81-44
On Feb. 5, the Mount Gilead Indians traveled to Ridgedale to take on the Rockets. The Rockets are struggling this season with a 1-15 record and are 0-4 in Northwest Central League play. The Indians, 8-11 and 5-6 in KMAC, didn’t make it any easier on Ridgedale and exploded from the opening tip-off with a 30-point first quarter and a 49-point half, to rout the Rockets, 81-44.
The Indians scored at will in the first to take a 16-point lead. Matthew Bland got the Indians charging with 12 points in the first, backed by seven points from Paul Butterman. Carter Kennon, who would go on to have a monster night, chipped in with five.
Mount Gilead stepped off the gas a bit in the second, but still built eight more points on the lead to take a 49-25 advantage at halftime. Butterman and Kennon each added six and Elijah Chafin nailed a three in the quarter. Kennon put in six more to end the night with 27 points. Bland finished with 20 and Butterman had 13 among seven Indians on the score sheet.
The third was slower-paced and each team scored 13. Mount Gilead got all their scoring from Kennon with 10, and Bland with a three. In the fourth, the Indians played just about everyone who was able, and nailed down the 37-point win.
Freddies chop down Tree of Life, 60-42
In Saturday action, Fredericktown started slowly, then blew out the visiting Tree of Life Trojans, 60-42. Fredericktown improved to 11-8 on the season and is 6-5 in KMAC play, while Tree of Life fell to 13-6 overall. They are 10-1 in Mid-Ohio-Christian games.
In the first, Tree of Life jumped out to a 12-8 lead. Kaid Carpenter’s two threes and Brady Lester’s bucket accounted for all eight Freddies’ points. The Freddies were on fire in the second and put 20 points on the board, holding TOL to seven and assuming a 28-19 lead at the break. Carpenter added seven more, Lester netted five and Luke Bean drained a three in the stanza.
It was all Freddies in a 17-7 third, as Lester led Fredericktown with seven of the team’s 17 points and Teegan Ruhl scored six. Five Freddies scorers divided up 15 points in the fourth as they relaxed on “D” and allowed 16 points by the Trojans.
Among eight Fredericktown scorers, Carpenter finished with 21, Lester hit 14 and Ruhl had 11.
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Low-scoring first half, big-scoring second propels Highland over Galion, 73-53
In Saturday, Feb. 5 action at Galion, Highland took an early lead, stifled the Tigers in the second and poured it on in an offensive battle in the second half to defeat Galion 73-53.
The Fighting Scots took a 16-9 first-quarter lead on even scoring from five players. The romp started in a 14-4 second quarter to send both teams to the locker room with a 30-13 Highland advantage. Four Highlanders divided up second-quarter points.
The second half was a scoring highlight reel, with the Scots putting up 43 points and the Tigers 40. Outscored 24-20 in the third, Dane Nauman and Jordan Bellamy each answered with six points for Highland. In the fourth, Highland owned a 23-16 advantage and Garrett Fitzpatrick led the way with seven points.
Highland had eight players tally points, led by Fitzpatrick with 19, Nauman with 16 and Bellamy with 10.
Highland improves to 8-9 on the season and 5-4 in Mid-Ohio-Red games. Galion is now 3-13 on the season, 2-9 in Mid-Ohio-Red play.
