The Ohio Northern women's basketball team had John Carroll stumped ahead of Thursday's Ohio Athletic Conference semifinal matchup. The No. 3-seeded Polar Bears had toppled the No. 2-seeded, and nationally-ranked, Blue Streaks in both regular-season meetings of the 2019-20 season.
Northern, however, couldn't muster up the magic for a third time. ONU fell to John Carroll 64-49 inside the Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center.
The loss gives the Polar Bears a 20-7 overall record, which includes a 13-6 mark in OAC play. If ONU's season comes to a close, it'll be the eighth time in the last nine seasons that Northern reached the 20-win mark.
Jeff Andrews entered the state tournament his senior year of high school thinking that was it for his athletic career. All signs pointed to Andrews' fifth-place match as the final bout of his long and arduous wrestling career.
"It was super emotional," Andrews said. "I thought that would be the last time I would wrestle."
Andrews quickly found out not only how much wrestling meant to him, but how much he needed the sport, as well. Wrestling has given Andrews an unparalleled work ethic, taught him the toughest of lessons, kept him accountable and shaped him into the man he is today.
The member schools of the Northwest Conference have been informed by Paulding of that school's intent to leave the league and join the Green Meadows Conference, according to Jim Raabe, NWC commissioner.
"It is anticipated that a formal request to leave the league after the 20-21 school year will be submitted to the member schools at the May principals' meeting," Raabe said.
Paulding has been affiliated with the NWC since 1967 and in that time frame has accumulated over 50 conference championship teams in the various sports.
By Cort Reynolds - photos at bottom of story
LIMA - Six members of the Ada varsity wrestling team competed in the 14-team Div. III sectionals at Lima Central Catholic Friday and Saturday.
Ada finished 12th and sent three wrestlers on to the district meet with strong individual performances. Dominating Allen East won the sectional crown easily by 98 points over second-place Wayne Trace (251 to 153). Coldwater came in third (143.5).
The Bulldogs compiled 52 points to finish ahead of Lincolnview and Pandora-Gilboa.
A top-four finish qualifies a wrestler to the next level of competition at the district competition in Troy.
By Cort Reynolds
Photos by Stephanie Frazier
BLUFFTON - Undefeated Columbus Grove raced to a big early lead and eliminated Ada 59-35 in the Div. IV boys sectional basketball finals at Bluffton University Friday night.
The previous weekend, Ada gave Grove all it could handle in the regular season finale before CG took over with a 20-7 closing run to win 56-46.
In the rematch seven days later, Grove jumped ahead 19-6 after one quarter and was never seriously threatened.
By Cort Reynolds
DELPHOS - Two Ada boys cagers received All-Northwest Conference basketball honors from league coaches in voting conducted at their annual selection meeting Monday night.
Junior point guard Brandon Hull led the Bulldogs in scoring, assists and rebounds to earn inclusion on the six-player all-league first team.
Senior wing Phillip Coulson was Ada's number two scorer and was voted honorable mention all-conference.
The Bulldogs finished the regular season 9-13 overall and 3-5 in the NWC.
Columbus Grove junior Blake Reynolds was chosen as the 2019-20 NWC Player of the Year by the league coaches at their meeting.
