Friday, December 23rd, 2022
Bulldogs earn first win
By Gary R. Rasberry
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
Celina's Jacci Felver puts up a jump shot during Thursday's girls basketball game with New Knoxville at Ranger Gymnasium. The Bulldogs picked up their first win of the season with a 32-15 decision.
NEW KNOXVILLE - Bret Baucher will take the win, good things and bad.
Celina did just enough to get out to a big lead and were helped by New Knoxville going scoreless for a period spanning three quarters of in the Bulldogs picking up ther first win of the season in a 32-15 girls basketball contest on Thursday night at Ranger Gymnasium.
Celina struggled shooting at times - making just 13-of-42 from the floor (31%) and turned the ball over 15 times, but the Rangers were just 5-of-38 (13.2%) and turned the ball over 28 times - 17 times in the first half.
"I wasn't real pleased with our effort and intensity in the first half," said Baucher, the Bulldogs' first-year coach. "Even though we shut them out in the second quarter, that didn't have a lot to do with us and how we want to play."
"(Celina) put a lot of ball pressure on us," said Rangers coach Alivia Koenig. "We didn't match up. They flat-out outhustled up and outplayed us."
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
New Knoxville's Brynn Egbert (10) passes around Celina's Amelia Lutz.
Addi Albers tied the game for New Knoxville at 5-all with 50 seconds remaining in the first quarter, but that would be the final Ranger points until three minutes remained in the third quarter, a span of 13 minutes and 50 seconds.
Payton Bertke put Celina in front to stay with 36 seconds remaining in the quarter, starting a 13-0 run as Celina outscored New Knoxville 9-0 in the second quarter to take a 16-5 lead at the half.
Kyilla Billingsley made it 18-5 less than two minutes into the third quarter, but Celina went scoreless for over three minutes. Keianna Wellman finally snapped the Rangers cold spell with three minutes to play in the quarter with a 3-pointer, but Bertke quickly got Celina's offense restarted seconds later with a bucket.
The Rangers' offense picked up a bit in the fourth quarter, nearly matching their total from the first three quarters combined, but Celina kept in control.
"Second half we turned up the intensity. Energy was much better," said Baucher. "Still struggled to put the ball in the hole sometimes, but defensively? Much, much better. We got the shots we wanted. We just have to finish."
"We ask them to go out and play hard," said Koenig."
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
Celina's Taylor Klingshirn goes up for a basket against New Knoxville.
Taylor Klingshirn led Celina with 10 points. Billingsley and Bertke each added eight points with Bertke pulling down 10 rebounds.
Lauren Wingler led New Knoxville with seven points.
Both teams will be in holiday tournament play next week. Celina hosts the annual OVISCO Classic starting on Tuesday, facing Marion Local in the 7:30 p.m. contest. New Knoxville travels to Elida on Wednesday for the Vicki Mauk Holiday Tournament, taking on the host Bulldogs in the nightcap.
