By Cort Reynolds
ADA - Ada sophomore Brandon Hull sank a fast break layup with seven seconds left, and the Bulldogs dodged a last-ditch halfcourt heave at the horn to post a thrilling 55-54 non-conference boys basketball win over visiting Lima Temple Christian Saturday night.
The purple and gold improved to 4-16 overall with the high-energy win, while LTC dropped to 7-14 after their seventh consecutive defeat.
With Temple ahead 54-53, Pioneer senior post Dakota Clay missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw opportunity with only 15.5 seconds left.
By Cort Reynolds
COLUMBUS GROVE - Host Columbus Grove broke away from a close game at halftime to beat feisty Ada 60-43 and clinch at least a tie for the Northwest Conference boys basketball crown Friday night.
The purple and gold dropped to 3-16 overall and 2-5 in the NWC with the defeat. Meanwhile, Grove improved to 15-4 and 7-0 in league play with their seventh straight victory.
CG remains alone atop the NWC with a showdown game left at second-place Crestview (19-1, 6-1 NWC) next Friday to end the league season.
By Cort Reynolds
ADA - Visiting Columbus Grove earned a share of the Northwest Conference girls basketball crown with a 66-15 victory over Ada Thursday evening in the regular season finale.
Ada finished 1-20 overall and 0-8 in the NWC with the defeat. Meanwhile, Grove improved to 16-5 and ended up 7-1 in the NWC to tie Bluffton for the league crown with the decisive win.
CG came into its final league game tied atop the league standings with Spencerville and Bluffton at 6-1. Crestview was close behind at 5-2.
Cort Reynolds, Icon sports writer, had an article published in SB Nation celticsblog.com the day before the Super Bowl.
The article detailed the championship playoff history between the two coastal rivals, with an emphasis on the Celtics/Lakers championship series rivalry.
Its headline reads: Boston vs. Los Angeles, a long history of sports rivalry.
ONU women's and men's basketball teams both defeated Heidelberg on Feb. 13. Those game stories follow.
Women's game
The Ohio Northern women's basketball team sent the program's Class of 2019 student-athletes out in style Wednesday evening, toppling Ohio Athletic Conference foe Heidelberg 53-45 inside the ONU Sports Center on Senior Night.
The Polar Bears improve to 12-12 overall and 6-11 against the conference circuit with the victory. More importantly, Northern moves into a two-way tie for seventh place with Wilmington in the OAC standings and can secure their spot in the conference tournament Saturday with a win at Muskingum.
Senior All-American Ryan Bruns (Chickasaw/Marion Local) has been named the Ohio Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of February 6-12.
Bruns averaged 29 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game last week as the Polar Bears (5-18 overall, 1-15 OAC) defeated Otterbein 75-70 and lost at John Carroll 90-71.
Against Otterbein, he scored 33 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked four shots and followed that up with a 25-point, 11-rebound, 4-block performance at JCU.
