Staff report
VERSAILLES — The Anna Rockets gave once-beaten Versailles all it could handle in the semifinals on Tuesday night, losing 62-54 in overtime.
The Rockets led 30-26 at the half and 38-35 after three periods.
After Versailles scored to cut the Anna lead to 40-39, Nate Frilling hit a three to up the lead back to four. But when the Tigers got a steal and a hoop from Justin Ahrens, the score was knotted at 48-48 with 1:13 left.
Blake Stephens then put Anna back out front with his only bucket of the night with :56 left. The Rockets thought they came up with a crucial steal, but a foul was called instead and Ahrens hit two free throws to knot the game up with :40 left. It stayed that way, necessitating the extra session.
Cody Flesher, who had a team-high 16 for Anna, hit two free throws for the first points of overtime, but Brett McEldowney drained a three, and Ahrens followed with a drive to the bucket for two more to give the Tigers a four-point lead they would not relinquish.
In addition to Flesher, Frilling scored 12 of the bench, and Wyatt Bensman added eight.
Ahrens poured in 28 for the Tigers.
Anna (54) — Frilling 12, Bensman 10, Huelskamp 6, Luthman 8, Stephens 2, Flesher 16.
Versailles (62) — Knapke 1, Niekamp 2, K. McEldowney 6, Wendel 7, J. Ahrens 28, B. McEldowney 8, AJ Ahrens 8.
Score by quarters:
Anna—9 30 38 50 54
Versailles—10 26 35 50 62
Three-pointers: Anna 3 (Frilling 2, Bensman); Versailles 3 (Wendel, J. Ahrens, B. McEldowney).
Records: Anna 6-3, Versailles 8-1.
Fort Recovery 45, Fort Loramie 35
FORT RECOVERY — The Fort Loramie Redskins shut out the Fort Recovery Indians in the opening quarter, but it wasn’t enough in a 45-35 loss in non-league boys basketball Tuesday night
The setback left the Redskins at 4-6 overall heading into a County game Saturday night at home against Houston. Fort Recovery goes to 5-1 on the year.
The game got off to an ultra-slow start, with the first points coming from Tyler Siegel at the free throw line with just 2:51 left in the quarter. Siegel then added a field goal with 2:34 left to make it 4-0 and that was how the first quarter would end.
Recovery finally got on the board with 7:16 left in the second quarter and that started an 8-0 run. The half ended with the Indians on top 14-9.
The Redskins scored eight of the first ten points of the third quarter to take a 17-16 lead, and after the Indians tied it with a free throw, the Redskins scored the next six to make it 23-17 with 3:37 left in the quarter. But Recovery scored six straight to tie, then after a Drew Wehrman bucket for Loramie, Darien Sheffer hit a three-pointer to give the Indians a 26-25 lead going to the fourth quarter.
The score was tied at 33-33 with 4:28 remaining when the Indians went on a critical 6-0 run to make it 39-33 with just 1:24 remaining. Loramie got a bucket from Siegel with :48 left, but that would be its final points of the night.
Wehrman finished with 14 to lead the Redskins and Siegel had a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds. He also had three steals.
Micaiah Cox had 14 points and 13 rebounds for Fort Recovery, and also blocked three shots.
The Redskins were just 12 for 43 from the floor for 28 percent, and only 2 for 14 in the first half. Recovery wasn’t much better, 15 for 45 for 33 percent. Recovery outrebounded the Redskins 35-30 and had 15 turnovers to 20 for Loramie.
Fort Loramie (35) — Wehrman 14, Braun 4, Gasson 4, Siegel 12, Berning 1.
Fort Recovery (45) — Schoen 8, Bruns 5, Sheffer 8, Wenning 4, Cox 14, Martin 2, Roessner 4.
Score by quarters:
FL—4 9 25 35
FR—0 14 26 45
Three-pointers: FL 3 (Wehrman 3), FR 4 (Schoen 2, Bruns, Sheffer).
Records: FL 4-6, FR 5-1.
Reserve score: FR 38, FL 35.
Russia 71, Covington 64
PIQUA — Russia survived an onslaught in the final period by Covington to win 71-64 in the semifinals of the Piqua Holiday Tournament.
The game wasn’t nearly as close as the final score makes it seem. The Raiders scored the first 13 points of the game. They led by eight at the half, and by 21 after three periods, before the Buccs exploded for 29 points in the fourth quarter.
“The fourth quarter was pretty helter skelter,” said Russia coach Spencer Cordonnier. “We came out with the same intensity in the third quarter that we had at the start of the game. But then we relaxed again.”
Cole Tebbe led Russia with 18 points, while York had 12 points and eight rebounds and Jonah Counts scored 11 points.
Russia was 26 of 40 from the floor and 14 of 22 from the line, while Covington was 19 of 47 from the floor and 17 of 23 from the line.
Both teams had 21 rebounds and Russia had 13 turnovers to Covington’s 16.
Covington (64) — Murphy 2, Pond 21, Maschino 19, Miller 11, Blei 3, Adkinson 4, Sowers 4.
Russia (71) — Counts 11, C. Monnin 3, T. Monnin 2, Cordonnier 7, Gariety 7, Tebbe 18, Borchers 6, York 12, Dapore 5.
Score by quarters:
Covington—10 23 31 64
Russia—16 31 52 71
Three-pointers: Covington 9 (Pond 5, Miller 2, Blei, Adkinson), Russia 5 (Counts C. Monnin, Cordonnier, Gariety, Dapore).
Records: Russia 7-2, Covington 3-4.
Indian Lake 74, New Bremen 51
NEW BREMEN — The New Bremen Cardinals dropped a 74-51 home verdict to Indian Lake Tuesday night in non-league action.
The loss leaves the Cardinals at 1-8 on the year heading into a game at Celina Saturday. Lake is now 4-4.
The Cards fell behind 11-4 after a quarter, and the margin was still at seven at the half. But the Lakers outscored them 42-26 over the final two periods.
Greg Parker had 14 to lead Bremen.
Lake (74) — Shoffner 7, Hefner 30, Albright 14, Coburn 8, Grothaus 4, Jacobs 4, Carter 5, Evans 2.
Bremen (51) — Bowers 7, Powerrs 7, Schwieterman 2, Hemmelgarn 8, Parker 14, Reed 9, Messick 1, Heitkamp 3.
Score by quarters:
Lake—11 32 53 74
Bremen—4 25 40 51
Three-pointers: IL 8 (Hefner 4, Albright 4); NB 1 (Powers).
Records: IL 4-4, NB 1-8.
