Shawnee halts Redskins win streak
LIMA — Scoreboards tell part of the story, but not all.
Shawnee kept its undefeated record intact with a 70- 45 win over visiting Wapakoneta on Friday night in Western Buckeye League action.
However, the Redskins acquitted themselves well for most of the contest. They had a lead at the outset, and were within single digits for the most of the first half. They got with seven points in the third. After a Shawnee run, then closed the gap to nine points with 4 1/ 2 minutes to go.
From that point, Indians big man George Mangas brooke loose, scoring the rest of the Indians’ points for the game to finish with 40 total.
For Wapakoneta, Noah Ambos had 19 points, and Garrett Siefring had nine.
Coach Trey Elchert of the Redskins said, “We had a shot with 4 1/ 2 minutes to go. Our kids executed exactly what we needed to do.”
“Give their kids credit,” Elchert said of the Indians. “They were able to pull away at the end.”
He said that the team will use this experience and “continue
to learn and grow from each game.”
Besides the usual contributors for the Redskins, sophomore
Grant Bauer earned some valuable varsitylevel experience and provided solid defense, as well as six
points. Elchert said that Bauer “works hard each and every day.”
Mangas opened the contest with a threepointer. Ambos answered with a three of his own, then drove along the baseline for a score. He was fouled on that shot, and completed the three- point play for a 6- 3 lead with just over three minutes gone by.
Caden Vermillon had a basket and foul shot for the Indians to tie it, followed by a score from Mangas.
Siefring hit a jumper for the Redskins. Mangas hit a pair of shots for a 12- 8 lead.
However, the Indians senior was assessed a technical after that second basket. Ambos missed both of the free throws,
After a free throw by Braeden Goulet, Shawnee’s Jarin Bertke scored twice. In between, Siefring set up a score by John Buchanan. After the first, Shawnee led by five, 16- 11.
Bauer scored the first two Redskins baskets of the second period. Shawnee junior Brady Wheeler hit a three after the first one, then a three and a two after the second to make it 2415.
The teams continued to go back and forth as Wapakoneta stayed within striking range of the Indians.
A three by Mangas was followed by
Shawnee forcing a turnover and Ricky Rosado making the layup to push it to 12 points, 32- 20.
Ambos had another three- point play with 2 1/ 2 minutes to go, and Goulet then made a steal and took it coast- to- coast.
Shawnee hit a couple more shots, but Siefring got the last word for the Redskins, making it a 10- point margin, 37- 27, in favor of the Indians at intermission.
Mangas got a putback to open the second half scoring for Shawnee.
Wapakoneta then had one of its best stretches of the evening. Siefring made a reverse layup. Shawnee was hit with another technical, as a player entered the game without waiting for the referee’s signal. Zach Rogers, who had been fouled, made three of his four shots, cutting the gap to just seven, 39- 32.
The teams traded scores. For the ‘ Skins, Goulet had a nice pass leading to a score by Ambos.
A two by Mangas and two more threes by Wheeler would give the Indians a 15- point advantage going to the final period.
Ambos opened things with a 3- ball from the corner, and Bauer followed with a score.
After a jumper by Mangas, Ambos hit two free throws. Vermillon did the same for his squad.
Ambos went long distance again with 4: 20 to go, and connected to get the cushion back into single
digits at 53- 44.
A foul shot by Vermillon was followed by Ambos being called for an intentional foul on Mangas. He hit both shots and then scored as Shawnee retained possession. That got the lead up to 14 points.
The Indians kept feeding it to Mangas and he finally broke loose, scoring from both the floor and at the free throw line.
Siefring had the final Redskins point on a free throw.
Game Notes
In the junior varsity matchup, Shawnee won 45- 39. Scoring for Wapakoneta: Landon Brandt 14, Logan Crow 9, Grant Bauer 9, Jordan Schneider 2, Nate Metzger 2, Jackson Courter 2, Deacon Retterer 1.
Wapakoneta is now 1- 2 in WBL play and 8- 3 overall. They will be off until next Friday night when they host Kenton. That is the start of a fivegame homestand.