Staff report
PIQUA — It was exactly what you would expect when two teams like Russia and Fort Loramie are meeting for the third time.
A classic County matchup, which went right to the final buzzer.
In the end, Fort Loramie had just enough to stun top-seeded Russia 52-51 in a Piqua Division 4 sectional final and move on to the district tournament.
The Redskins won for the seventh time in the last eight games and improved to 13-12, while Russia closes at 21-4.
Fort Loramie’s Evan Berning broke a 50-50 deadlock on a drive to the basket with just over a minute remaining for what would prove to be the winning points. Russia’s Dylan Cordonnier was fouled with 25.3 seconds to go and made one of two free throws to make it a 52-51 game.
Fort Loramie got the rebound, but Russia pressured the Redskins into a bad pass and Fort Loramie fouled going for the ball, turning it back over to the Raiders. Russia missed a shot and Fort Loramie’s Tyler Siegel grabbed the rebound.
In the action, he ended up on the floor and was called for traveling with 2.2 seconds to go.
After three timeouts, Russia had a short jumper, but Loramie pressured the shot and it was off the mark, giving the Redskins the win.
From the start, it was a game where one team would go on a run, only to be answered by the other team.
Drew Wehrman, who scored 13 in the opening half, hit a three to put the Redkins up 15-10 late in the first quarter, but Russia answered with the final four points of the quarter.
In the second quarter, Wehrman had a three-point play, Siegel scored and Wehrman added two free throws to give Loramie a 22-14 edge. But Jonah Counts and Cordonnier hit threes for Russia.
Russia held for the final shot of the half. Trailing 30-26, Jake Gariety was fouled on a three-point attempt with 2.6 seconds to go and hit all three free throws to get the Raiders within 30-29 at the break.
Russia started the third quarter with threes by Counts and Gariety to make it 35-30, but it was Loramie’s turn to rally.
They pulled even at 39 on a steal and basket by Berning with 13 seconds to go in the quarter, but Russia’s Jack Dapore banked in a three at the buzzer to give Russia a 42-39 edge.
Both teams led by three at one point in the fourth quarter, before the other answered to set up the dramatic finish.
Fort Loramie (52) — Wehrman 16, Berning 13, Rosengarten 2, Braun 6, Siegel 11, Pleiman 4.
Russia (51) — T. Monnin 4, Cordonnier 10, Gariety 11, Tebbe 6, York 6, Dapore 7, Counts 7.
Score by quarters:
Loramie`15`30`39`52
Russia`14`29`42`51
Three-pointers: FL 4 (Wehrman 2, Berning, Braun); Russia 5 (Cordonnier 2, Gariety 2, Dapore, Counts).
Records: Loramie 13-12, Russia 21-4.
Loramie’s next game: Thursday, district finals at UD Arena, 6 p.m. vs. Southeastern-Cedarville winner.
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Centerville 67, Sidney 47
VANDALIA — The Sidney High boys basketball team saw their excellent season come to an end Friday night in the Division 1 Sectional championship at Vandalia.
Centerville was too much for the Jackets and pinned a 67-47 defeat on them to end Sidney’s season at 17-8. Centerville advances at 15-10 to the district tournament.
The Jackets got the first bucket of the game, but the Elks responded with a three-pointer, and that set the tone for the rest of the night. Centerville sank nine three-pointers in the game.
The Elks twice led by seven in the opening quarter before Sidney rallied back to within three at 15-12 on an Allec Gordon bucket. It was 16-12 after one.
However, the early portion of the second quarter was key to the game — the Elks scored the first 10 points of the period to lead 25-12, and by the half, the Jackets had trimmed just three points off that margin and trailed 33-23.
The Elks then scored the first five of the third quarter for a 15-point lead, and after Sidney scored its first bucket of the half, the Elks responded with a three to make it a 41-25 lead.
The Jackets got the lead down to 14 at one point, but that was as close as they could come.
Andre Gordon led Sidney with 13 points, but was held to just three in the second half. Senior Cameron Gallimore finished with 11, seven of those coming in the final period.
Sidney (47) — Bowser 2, NcNeal 4, Gallimore 11, Taborn 3, An. Gordon 13, Al. Gordon 7, Rogers 5, Brady 2.
Centerville (67) — Meiners 3, Miller 2, Grandin 12, Buchenroth 3, E. Meiners 2, Saben 18, Jones 2, Lash 16, Fedowa 9.
Score by quarters:
Sidney`12`23`32`47
Centerville`16`33`51`67
Three-pointers: Centerville 9 (Lash 4, Saben 2, Grandin 2, Buchenroth); Sidney 4 (Gallimore, Taborn, Gordon, Gordon).
Records: Sidney 17-8, Centerville 15-9.
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Minster advances
COLDWATER — Minster advanced to the district semifinals at Wapakoneta Tuesday after routing the Ada Bulldogs in D-4 sectional tournament action Friday night at Coldwater, 62-43.
The win snapped a two-game skid for the Wildcats and put them at 13-9 on the year heading into the district semifinals at Wapak Tuesday against St. Henry at 8 p.m (second game).
Bryce Schmiesing led Minster with 13 and Josh Nixon, Jacob Stechschulte and Peter Falk all had 10.
In the first game Friday, New Knoxville’s season ended at 8-15 after a 66-50 loss to St. Henry.
