Coaches Corner: Van Wert’s Rob Adams

 SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

It was a signature win for Van Wert. The Lady Cougars (5-12, 1-5 WBL) picked up their first Western Buckeye League victory of the season with last Thursday’s 59-53 overtime win over Kenton (11-5, 3-3 WBL).

Reagan Priest (14 points) and Cassidy Meyers (10) led the way, with Caylee Phillips chipping in with nine. Jamison Clouse scored six of her eight points in the overtime period.

“The win was huge,” Van Wert head coach Rob Adams said. “We have been talking about getting a signature win and we did. First and foremost we had girls step up from top to bottom. All nine players got in the scoring column.”

“We knew coming in it was going to be a battle and that we needed to stay focused in the game and play for the name on our jerseys. We are putting extra emphasis on our mental game currently and it showed on Thursday.”

Adams touched more on the mental aspect of the game and said he believes his team’s biggest area of improvement is mental strength.

“The girls are believing,” Adams explained. “We discuss the difference between ‘naysayers’ and ‘optimists’ on a daily basis and girls are starting to buy into the concept of conditioning our brains to believe we can achieve anything.”

“I love these girls,” Adams added. “ We are a giant family and always have each others backs. I truly believe we would do anything for the betterment of the group. The game of basketball is fun, but these girls make it very enjoyable regardless of our record.”

With just five games left in the regular season plus the tournament, Adams said he’d like to see the Lady Cougars cut down on turnovers and force opponents into more turnovers.

Van Wert is back in action Thursday at Elida (6-10, 2-4 WBL).

“Elida has some veteran players and loves to play a 1-3-1 half court zone press,” Adams said. “They play fast and move the ball from side to side very well. Shyah Wheeler (5-11 senior forward) is a tough match-up for us, but we’ll figure something out. Coach Chrissy Billiter has a nice team over there, very young, ready for the future.”

Sectional tournament draws are this Sunday and Van Wert will open postseason play at Spencerville or Leipsic. Champions from those locations will advance to the Paulding district.

Adams said he’ll note the Lady Cougars have played an extremely challenging schedule that includes four state ranked teams (Ottoville, Minster, Fort Recovery and Ottawa-Glandorf), along with a number of other teams that are well above .500.

“We will try and be aggressive with our seeding choice,” Adams stated. “We have lost five or six games in the closing minutes this year and could easily be 11-6 if a few things would have went our direction.”

“I truly believe if we were able to ‘start over,’ 11-6 is where we would be,” Adams added. “The sectionals this year will be more competitive from top to bottom especially now that Ottawa-Glandorf has moved to Division III.”