Elida boys end VW Cougars’ win streak

DAVE MOSIER/independent sports

The Elida Bulldogs ended Van Wert’s three-game winning streak with a 61-38 Western Buckeye League victory on Friday in the Cougars’ Den.

Elida is now 4-10 overall and 3-2 in the WBL, while the Cougars are 4-10 overall and 1-4 in league play.

Van Wert kept the game close — at least in the first quarter — as the Cougars trailed by just a point, 18-17, at the end of the period. Things went south after that, though, as the Bulldogs started pulling away in the second stanza, outscoring Van Wert 18-9 to go up by 10 points, 36-26, at the half. The score was 52-31 at the three-quarter mark.

Elida shot 48.8 percent for the game, despite hitting only 2 of 12 three-point attempts, while the Cougars made 35 percent of their field goal attempts, including an ice-cold 1 of 13 from behind the arc. Van Wert was 9 of 13 at the free throw line (69.2 percent), while the Bulldogs made 17 of 26 at the line (65.4 percent).

The Cougars outrebounded Elida, 26-21, but also had double the turnovers (16-8).

The Bulldogs had three players in double figures, led by Dan Unreh’s 18 points. Josh Press added 14 points, while Baylen Stinson scored 10 for Elida. Van Wert was led by Colin Smith’s 11 points, while Josh Braun added 10 points for the Cougars.

The Van Wert junior varsity team got another victory, beating the Bulldog JVs 44-33. Nate Place scored 15 points for the Cougar JVs, while Drew Bagley added 10 for Van Wert. Calan Henderson scored 11 points for Elida, while Mike Purdy had 10 for the Bulldogs.

The Cougars will host Coldwater at home tonight for a non-conference boys’ basketball game.