3/6/2010
Elida hits 22 free throws to end Van Wert's season, 50-40
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| Tina Eley/Times Bulletin
Van Wert’s Corey Clifton (3) puts up a shot in between Elida’s Michael Knotts (25) and Reggie McAdams (21) during a sectional basketball game on Friday, March 5, in Lima. |
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BY JIM COX
Times Bulletin Correspondent
sports@timesbulletin.com
LIMA - Teams won't win many games when they hit only 11 field goals. Friday night's Division II sectional final was an exception, as Elida hit 22 of 27 free throws to end Van Wert's season with a 50-40 verdict.
The Cougars end up with a fine 17-5 record, while the top-seeded Bulldogs advance with a 12-9 mark. Elida will play Lima Bath in Wednesday night's 6:15 p.m. district semifinal at Ohio Northern.
Elida led the game from wire to wire. The Bulldogs' Desmond Ragin started it with two free throws after an offensive rebound. After several misfires by both teams, Elida's Matt Thompson drilled a three from straight out to make it 5-0 at the 4:28 mark. Van Wert got on the board via a 10-foot banker by 6-8 Jake Olson, but a layup by Alex McAdams and a four-point play (trey from the right wing, and one) by Thompson made it 11-2 with 3:02 remaining in the first period.
The Cougars then began to climb out of the hole, but never quite made it. Point guard Corey Clifton canned two free throws, and Jake Bagley swished a triple from the right corner to make it 11-7. Ragin hit two more freebies, but Clifton nailed a three from straight out to cut the lead to 13-10. Elida's 6-5 super-soph, Reggie McAdams (17.5 points per game), got on the board with a three ball from the left wing to make it 16-10 after one.
Clifton's 12-foot pull-up jumper and Olson's left-handed baby hook got the Cougs within 16-14 with 7:10 left in the second period, but they wouldn't get that close again. Reggie McAdams hit a three from the left corner, Alex McAdams got a put-back, and Reggie McAdams downed a trey from the right wing - 24-14, Elida, with 4:18 remaining in the second quarter.
Van Wert sophomore Jacob Myers hit a layup off of a Jake Hood assist to cut the lead to eight, but then began the first of two long free throw line parades by the Dogs. They downed 6 of 8 freebies (4 of 6 by Reggie McAdams and 2 of 2 by Michael Knotts) to lead big at the half 32-18. At that point McAdams already had 13 points. Clifton had 9 for Van Wert. Both teams were cold from the field - 8 of 22 for Elida, 7 of 20 for Van Wert - but the Bulldogs had a big free throw edge - 11 of 13 to the Cougars' 2 of 2. Both of those trends would continue in the second half.
Van Wert didn't get closer than 11 (36-25) in the third period, during which McAdams tacked on seven more points (one three, one two, and two free throws). It was 41-28, Dogs, after three.
Elida didn't make a field goal in the fourth period, but nailed 9 of 12 free throws to hold on for the win.
Van Wert made 16 field goals (47 tries - 34 percent) to only 11 for Elida (35 attempts - 31 percent), but the Bulldogs shot 27 free throws (22 made - 81 percent), while the Cougars shot only 7 (making 6 - 86 percent). Elida out-boarded Van Wert 28-23. Turnovers were not a major factor - 13 for the Dogs, 12 for the Cougs.
Reggie McAdams led all scorers with 22. Clifton and Olson had 16 and 13, respectively, for Van Wert. Bagley, the Cougars' leading scorer, was held to 5 and got off very few shots.
"Mostly it was man-to-man," said Elida coach Denny Thompson of the defense on Bagley. "Individually, we just rat-tailed hard and tried not to lose him. Matt (Thompson) has good quickness and he was able to get to him and not let him get open."
Matt Thompson (son of Elida baseball coach Mark Thompson) also played a big role offensively in the win.
"The first half free throws were big," said coach Denny Thompson. "Plus Matt Thompson getting seven of the first nine points, so now they had to guard somebody besides Reggie, that was huge."
"They (the Bulldogs) came out real aggressive and made a couple of shots, and we just didn't respond to it," said Cougar coach Dave Froelich. "We didn't make a shot, we turned it a couple, and we dug ourselves a hole. We battled to try to get back out of it and couldn't quite do it. Each time we made a play, we couldn't make two in a row and sustain things. In the second half, same thing. We couldn't make the big shot or get the stop we needed. We were constantly climbing uphill."
It was a frustrating ending for Van Wert seniors Olson, Bagley, Evan Hammons, Nathan Williams and Tyler Putman, but the season had a lot of highlights. "Our kids had a very, very good year," said Froelich. "We wanted to validate our season with another win. It didn't happen, but I'm really proud of the way we played. The seniors showed good leadership. It's tough for them, but it was a season they should be proud of."
Score by quarters:
Elida 16 16 9 9 - 50
Van Wert 10 8 10 12 - 40
Elida (50)
Todd Kraft 0 0-0 0, Thompson 2 3-3 9, Reggie McAdams 5 8-12 22, Ragin 2 4-4 8, Alex McAdams 2 0-0 4, Knotts 0 7-8 7, Kevin Kraft 0 0-0 0, Clevenger 0 0-0 0. Totals 11 22-27 50.
Van Wert (40)
Clifton 6 3-4 16, Bagley 2 0-0 5, Hammons 0 0-0 0, Fleming 0 0-0 0, Olson 5 3-3 13, Putman 1 0-0 2, Myers 2 0-0 4, Doidge 0 0-0 0, Hood 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 6-7 40.
3-point field goals:
Elida 6 (Thompson 2, Reggie McAdams 4), Van Wert 2 (Clifton, Bagley).
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