Slow start hurts Lady Cougars in loss

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

Cold shooting, especially in the first half, along with turnovers and fewer rebounds doomed shorthanded Van Wert in a 53-44 Western Buckeye League loss against St. Marys Memorial on Thursday.

Without Reagan Priest and Jaylyn Rickard, Van Wert was down 11-2 more than halfway through the first quarter and trailed 13-7 at the end of the period, with Carly Caywood accounting for seven points for the Lady Riders.

The Lady Cougars were outscored by the visitors 10-3 in second quarter, with the only points coming on a free throw by Sierra Shaffer just 14 seconds into the quarter, then a buzzer beating layup by Abby Jackson.

Missed layups plagued Van Wert (1-8, 0-3 WBL) throughout the first half.

“The coaches are working their butts off right now, but we cannot make our girls finish the shots – ultimately that’s on them,” Van Wert head coach Rob Adams said. “I accept responsibility for just about everything else but when you’re point blank at the hoop – that’s the difference between momentum swings and all that stuff.”

“Every time we’re missing a shot and they come down and make one, that shoots us right in the foot,” Adams added.

Shaffer scored eight of her team high 13 points in the third quarter, but the Lady Cougars trailed 41-27 at the end of the period. Alexis Metz hit three treys and Jackson scored six points in the fourth quarter. Metz went on to finish with 12 while Jackson had 10.

“Sierra got real aggressive with the basketball in her hands and Abby Jackson started cleaning up a little bit underneath and started connecting on those bunnies,” Adams said.

St. Marys (4-7, 1-2 WBL) was led by Caywood’s 13 points, while Kendall Dieringer and Lauren Cisco each finished with nine. The Lady Riders held a 33-28 rebounding advantage and committed 13 turnovers, compared to 17 by Van Wert.

“All we can do from these games is try to study them and get better and hope that some of these shots are going to fall,” Adams said. “We’re not going to change anything, the shots just aren’t falling. That’s the big part of it.”

Van Wert will host Maumee Valley Country Day on Saturday.

Scoring summary

Van Wert 7 3 17 17 – 44
St. Marys 13 10 18 12 – 53

Van Wert: Sierra Shaffer 5-3-13; Alexis Metz 4-0-12; Carly Smith 1-1-3; Caylee Phillips 1-0-2; Abby Jackson 5-0-10; Jerica Huebner 1-0-2

St. Marys: Carly Caywood 6-0-13; Haley Felver 1-0-2; Elena Menker 2-4-6; Kendall Dieringer 4-1-9; Lauren Cisco 3-3-9; Noelle Ruane 3-1-7; Kathryn Elshoff 1-0-2; Clare Caywood 1-0-3; Natalie Inwalle 1-0-2

JV: St. Marys won 40-22