OTTAWA – Ottawa-Glandorf seems to be a late-arriving team.
For the second time in the last three games, the Titans have waited until the fourth quarter to roll out their best surge.
O-G did it Thursday when it pulled away from Columbus Grove down the stretch 52-45 in a girls basketball game at Hermiller Gymnasium.
O-G, which was coming off a loss to Perrysburg on Saturday, stands 8-1.
“I didn’t think our effort was there in the first half,” O-G coach Troy Yant said. “Grove was better on both ends of the floor. They outhustled us and were able to get it in the paint. On offense, we couldn’t get it anywhere close to the paint.
“In the third and fourth quarter we tried to focus on getting the ball into the paint and we got more post touches.’’
Columbus Grove is 8-2.
Columbus Grove led 24-16 at the half before the Titans’ Brianna Schimoeller scored on dribble drives and pull-up jumpers in the third quarter.
Schimoeller had a steal, a fast-break 15-footer and followed it up with a driving, pull-up 12-footer.
That tied the game at 30.
“We were trying to get the ball in the paint,” Schimoeller said.
O-G was tied with Grove after three at 37.
Then, O-G’s 6-foot Erin Kaufman went inside down the stretch for eight fourth-quarter points and Grove had no answer.
Schimmoeller had 15 points to lead O-G.
The sophomore Kaufman finished with 14 points and nine rebounds.
O-G won the boards, 31-21.
Angel Schneider led Grove with 12 points. Erin Downing had nine points and six rebounds.
Abigail Gladwell had nine points for Grove.
“We play seven, but five quite a bit,” Grove coach Brian Schroeder said. “I think depth or our legs, plus O-G’s defensive pressure, got to us in the second.’’
After the game was tied at 37 after three, O-G scored the first eight points of the final quarter to pull out to a 45-37 lead with 4:03 to go.
Kelsey Erford scored on a driving layup.
Then, Kaufman scored on a layup and a 15-footer.
Chloee Glenn (seven points, seven rebounds) dropped a layup.
But Grove wasn’t finished.
Gladwell hit a 3-pointer and Kenzie King followed with an NBA-like 3-pointer out by the volleyball line.
Suddenly, Grove cut the O-G lead to 47-45 with 1:01 to go.
O-G’s Peyton Warnecke went to the line to shoot one-and-one with 43 seconds to go. She made the first to give the Titans a 48-45 lead.
Warnecke then missed the second free throw, but Kaufman was there to gobble it up and put in the follow shot.
That gave O-G a 50-45 lead with 41 seconds left.
After a Grove turnover, Schimoeller finished it off with a pair of free throws to make it 52-45 with 26 seconds to go.
“Give credit to O-G,” Schroeder said. “Their defense and pressure makes you uncomfortable and makes you take some shots you really don’t want to take.’’
Columbus Grove controlled most of the first half. It led 12-5 after the first quarter and 24-16 at the half.
Grove ran out to a 10-2 early lead
The Bulldogs were both driving to the basket with Schneider and dropping shots from the outside.
When Ridenour sank her second 3-pointer, Grove pulled out to a 15-5 lead.
But when the Bulldogs’ outside shooting went cold, back came the Titans.
O-G ran off a 9-2 spurt in the second quarter to close the gap 19-16.
Grove’s Schneider took the ball inside in the second quarter, but the Bulldogs struggled to go inside in the second half.
“We had to put more pressure on their guards,” Schimmoeller said.
O-G had 10 turnovers at halftime, but finished with 14.
Grove had 13 turnovers.
“We had a big Perrysburg hangover and things weren’t really rolling for us,” Yant said. … “But once we got some momentum, we started playing the way we are capable of.’
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