No. 1 Fort Loramie takes down No. 4 Rangers
NEW KNOXVILLE — The decision went to the visitors.
Fort Loramie and New Knoxville squared off at the Barn on Tuesday night in non league girls basketball, with the Lady Redskins getting a 4439 victory.
Fort Loramie, currently ranked number one in the Associated Press state poll, kept its record perfect, moving to 18-0.
New Knoxville, ranked fourth in the state poll. had won 13 straight going into Tuesday. They are now 15-2 with five games left.
The first quarter was closely contested. Fort Loramie managed to preserve a single-digit lead through the second and was up four at the break. They stretched that at the start of the third, then dominated most the fourth quarter before the Lady Rangers made a charge at the end.
Fort Loramie was led by senior Colleen Brandewie with 10 points and Avery Brandewie with nine. They had four other players who all scored between five and seven points.
Coach Carla Siegel of Fort Loramie said “The game lived up to its billing. These are two great defensive teams. We had to work our tails off.”
She noted that they discussed reducing turnovers at halftime, and “cherishing every possession. I’m happy with the way we were able to persevere.”
For the Lady Rangers, it was Avery Henschen had 15 points and Carsyn Henschen scored 12. Coach Tim Hegemier said that his team played well defensively for the most part, but needed to cut down on turnovers and make more layups and free throws.
He noted that after the surge by Fort Loramie in the thrid, “we were fighting back from that point.”
Carsyn Henschen scored on the game’s opening possession. Fort Loramie got an answer a couple minutes later on a score by Ava Sholtis.
After a free throw by Carsyn Henschen, Avery Brandewie converted on a foul shot following a basket. A free throw by Cara Meyer then made it 6-3.
Avery Henschen scored in the post with just under three minutes to play, with Sholtis hitting a jumper in response about 30 seconds later.
Scores by Haley Fledderjohann and Carsyn Henschen brought the crowd to their feet as New Knoxville took a 9-8 lead. Colleen Brandewie put one in to reclaim the advantage for the Lady ‘Skins.
Avery Henschen opened the second period with a score for New Knoxville. A three-pointer by Colleen Brandewie and a fast-break score by Avery Brandewie gave the Redskins a 15-11 lead.
Neither side was able to break loose as Fort Loramie maintained the six-point lead.
Just past the midway point of the quarter, Ellie Gabel hit from long range on the side of the arc. Rebecca Leffel then made a steal near the midcourt line and took it toward the hoop. She was fouled and made the second of two shots to get the gap down to two, 20-18.
A couple of New Knoxville possessions were halted as Carsyn Henschen was called for fouls.
Fort Loramie got two free throws by Ava Turner, and Avery Henschen then answered with two at the other end.
The Lady Redskins got some momentum as Victoria Mescher put up a shot that rattled in just ahead of the buzzer for a 24-20 cushion.
Turner made that cushion bigger as she started off the third period with a three-pointer.
Fledderjohann got a steal and layup, but New Knoxville would wait a while for its next field goal. That would come from Carsyn Henschen who grabbed the rebound from a missed 3-pointer and put it back in to make it 29-25.
She then made a free throw and connected on a turnaround jumper in the lane with just over a minute to go. That cut it to one point, but a threeball in the corner by Riley Heitkamp kept the Lady Redskins in front going
to the fourth quarter.
A free throw and a basket by the Lady ‘Skins pushed that to seven.
Avery Henschen got a free throw with 5:20 to go, but another scoring drought followed. Fort Loramie was able to draw several calls, and made five of six at the line, extending the lead to double digits at 40-29. New Knoxville continued to battle down the stretch, with scores by Gabel and Avery Henschen, but ultimately ran out of time and chances.