You will see a blue-collar exhibition, just like Friday night’s 48-34 Northwest Conference victory over Columbus Grove at the home of the Bulldogs.
“It sounds like a broken record but defense and rebounding is how we win games. It’s the style that seems to suit this team best and it’s a style I like to play,” Jefferson coach Marc Smith noted. “We’re 10-6 doing it this way. We’re a blue-collar team. We dominated them on the glass and defended their 3-point shooters very well. Still, that is a team with a bright future and I believe they are very well-coached.”
The Wildcats (3-4 NWC) owned the backboards 43-22 (10-6 offensive) as Josh Miller had a double-double off the pine: 16 markers and 12 boards; as well as seven rebounds each from Michael Wiltsie and Jordan Jettinghoff.
They also limited the Bulldogs (3-13, 1-6 NWC) to 12-of-47 shooting from the floor (1-of-14 treys) for 25.5 percent and even 9-of-17 free throws (52.9%).
“It’s both/and for us; we missed some shots we usually make and their defense played us tough. We were 3-of-25 the first half and only counted one bad shot,” Grove coach Todd Turnwald began. “In actuality, I felt we defended them pretty well, despite the physical mismatch we were against. Just with the way they rebound so well, we were not going to get many extra chances.”
There was only a short battle for the lead early in the first period. When Mike Rahrig (12 points, 8 in the first period) hit a jumper midway through, Jefferson had the lead for good at 6-4. Matt Antalis (11 counters, 6 caroms) finished off the period with 1-of-2 singles with 5.8 ticks on the board for a 9-4 edge.
Jefferson’s defense really put the clamps on in period 2 and the painfully young Bulldogs couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn (1-of-14). Jefferson downed the first 10 markers before two throws by freshman Adam Bair at 3:25 broke the Bulldog drought. Miller dropped in eight counters in the period as the ’Cats built a 23-8 spread before two singles by Garrett Wolfe (8 markers) and 1-of-2 by Drew Barto with 18.5 ticks showing reduced that to 23-11.
Both teams had to deal with foul trouble; whereas the Jeffcats could turn to veterans, the ’Dogs had freshmen to bring in. Their two leaders, Wolfe and Adam Osterhage (12 markers, 4 boards), eventually fouled out.
The Bulldogs tried to get closer in the third period, with Osterhage dropping in eight markers in the span. They even tried to up the tempo with some full-court pressure. In the end, they could only outscore the Wildcats 11-10. When Nate Schroeder downed a triple out of the right corner with 2.1 ticks showing, that got them within 33-22.
Their pressure seemed to bother the guests some in period 4. Despite missing three front ends of the 1-and-1, they crawled within 39-34 on a Schroeder leaner at 3:16. However, the veteran Wildcats put a halt to that, getting a power layin by Miller at 2:56 that jump-started a 9-0 closing spurt. They hit 3-of-6 free throws late (18-of-28 overall for 64.3%) but with Grove unable to convert, they pulled away anyway.
“We weren’t great at the line but we hit enough. Our whole offensive game plan was to isolate on where we felt we had mismatches,” Smith added. “I look to Jordan as an example of how this team is. He didn’t have a good first half, so we sat him to start the second. He only scored a point but he handled the ball well against their pressure and didn’t turn the ball over. He didn’t sulk.”
In sum, Jefferson finished 15-of-35 shooting (0-of-4 treys) for 42.9 percent and compiled 16 errors and 21 fouls. They visit Fort Jennings this evening.
“If we make those front ends, we’re at least within four and we don’t have to chase like mad. We had to take chances and got burned,” Turnwald added
Grove was led on the glass by freshman Luke Kohls with eight. They turned it over seven times and added 23 fouls. They visit LCC Friday.
The JV contest went overtime, with Grove (14-2, 6-1) escaping 38-36 when Jefferson’s Ryan Ebbeskotte missed a 25-footer at the buzzer.
Eli Ricker was high man for the hosts with 13. Mitchell Antalis was tops for the Jeffcats (11-5, 4-3) with 11.