Cougars top Elida for fourth straight win

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

ELIDA — Playing without leading scorer Nate Place, Van Wert used a 12-0 second quarter run and a sterling performance from the foul line in the fourth quarter to defeat Elida 57-48 on Friday.

The win, the fourth straight for the Cougars, improved the team’s record to 9-7 (3-3 WBL), while Elida fell to 9-7 (4-2 WBL).

“We faced adversity with Nate Place suffering a concussion at the end of the Coldwater game, but LeTrey Williams was cleared from a possible serious condition,” Van Wert head coach Mark Bagley said.

Van Wert led 9-7 after the first quarter and trailed 10-9 in the second period before Blake Henry hit a basket, Owen Treece drilled a triple and Henry drained a trey to give the Cougars a 17-10 advantage. A bucket by Williams and a pair of free throws completed the run and put Van Wert up 21-10. Treece drained another trey before the break and Van Wert enjoyed a 24-15 halftime advantage. Dante Wheeler scored all eight of Elida’s points in the period.

“We were gritty and tough getting out to that 9-7 lead after one and extending it at half,” Bagley explained.

Elida outscored Van Wert 19-14 in the third quarter and pulled to within four on several occasions but could draw no closer. The Bulldogs stayed within striking distance for much of the fourth quarter and trailed 53-48 before Williams connected on a pair of free throws with 23 seconds left, then Drew Bagley hit two more a short time later to complete the scoring.

“We stopped several funds in the third and fourth quarters and great balance and free throw shooting was the difference,” Bagley said.

Bagley led the Cougars with 16 points, including three triples. Henry finished with 11 points, Treece tallied 10 and Williams chipped in with nine, as Van Wert was 19 of 43 (44 percent) from the floor and 12 of 15 from the foul line, including 9 of 11 in the fourth quarter.

Despite being held scoreless in the first quarter, Wheeler finished with 27 points, and Elida was 19 of 49 (39 percent) from the floor and 8-8 from the free throw line, all by Wheeler.

Van Wert will host Bryan on Monday.

Scoring summary

Elida HS 7 8 18 14 – 48
Van Wert 9 13 14 14 – 57

Elida: Dante Wheeler 9-8-27; Max Parker 3-0-7; Logan Johnson 3-0-6; Quan Moore 4-0-8

Van Wert: Owen Treece 3-2-10; Tanner Barnhart 0-2-2; LeTrey Williams 4-1-9; Blake Henry 4-2-11; Lawson Blackmore 3-0-6; Jake Hilleary 1-0-2; Drew Bagley 4-5-16

JV: Elida 44-33