Bobcats hold off stingy Wapak squad, 47-41

    Bowling Green boys basketball had to overcome long possessions, sometimes lasting over a minute, but the Bobcats pulled out a 47-41 non-league win over visiting Wapakoneta on Wednesday.

    BG senior guard Ahmir Ruffin was the only player on either team to reach double figures, scoring 18 points.

    Wapakoneta’s man-to-man defense stuck to the Bobcats like glue, but Ruffin was one of few players who figured out a way to score.

    “They are a really tough defensive team,” Ruffin said. “They shut us down the first time we played them (last year), but our main goal was to just keep running the pick and roll, keep moving the ball, attacking the closeouts, getting to the rim and scoring.”

    BG snaps their four-game losing streak to even out their record at 4-4, while Wapakoneta falls to 5-3. It was not the kind of game the Bobcats are used to playing in.

    “This game was definitely way slower,” Ruffin said. “We had to have a lot of touches on detail (offense), and we had to guard for a super long time.

    “They really moved the ball and made us guard. The key thing was just helping each other out, side-help defense, closing down on the shooter and moving the ball offensively.”

    Even though the Redskins did not have a single player reach double figures, senior guard Cash Schadl was 3-for-3 from downtown at one point, scoring a team-high nine points.

    Just when BG coach Mason Roth thought his team could outrun the Redskins, Wapakoneta spends at least a half minute or more on offense, only to find the open shooter or open cutter.

    “They’re tough,” Roth said. “They are a bunch of football players who are physical and strong and they guard, they sit in stance, and credit to them — they hit some big shots on us. I was like, ‘Just please go away.’”

    After the lead changed back and forth throughout the game, Ruffin hit a triple with 4:23 remaining to put the Bobcats up 37-35, but Schadl responded with his final trey. On Wapakoneta’s ensuing possession, Schadl’s shot 53 seconds after Ruffin’s triple gave the Redskins a one-point lead with 3:30 remaining

    However, BG junior Grant Sonner, assisted by junior guard Ja’ceous Shannon, hit a triple on the Bobcats’ next possession, pushing the Bobcats back to the lead, 40-38, with three minutes remaining.

    For Sonner, the starting point guard, it was his only points of the game, but he fills so many roles besides shooting.

    “Thankfully, we answered,” Roth said. “Grant Sonner hit a massive three-pointer.

    “Grant’s a guy, you look at his stat line and question why he’s playing, but he’s in there for that stuff. He made some big plays when we needed them.”

    Wapakoneta did not go away, responding on a basket by senior forward Nate Metzger in the paint and tying the game at 40 with 2:40 on the clock.

    Then, Ruffin took over, hitting a three-pointer with 1:45 remaining in transition off a steal by senior guard Jacob Amspoker and the Bobcats never trailed trailed or saw the Redskins tie again.

    Ruffin connected on three free throws and junior forward Karter Shank hit a free throw in the final 40 seconds to put the game on ice.

    Wapakoneta coach Trey Eichert got the Bobcats to play his team’s style of basketball, he just needed his team to make a couple more plays down the stretch.

    “We wanted to execute and open up the floor, but unfortunately we had a few too many turnovers and they made a few more plays down the stretch,” Eichert said.

    The Redskins had 12 turnovers, one more than the Bobcats (11) and Wapakoneta owned a narrow 25-24 advantage off the boards.

    BG did get eight players into the scoring column, making 17-of-36 shots (47%) from the field and 7-of-11 free throws.

    Shannon scored seven points, Shank had six points and four rebounds, junior forward Tomas Meek had four points and a team-high eight caroms, and senior guard Brayden Freyman scored four points.

    Amspoker had three points and three steals and senior guard Garrett Bateson added two points for the Bobcats.

    Senior guard Zac Niekamp scored eight points for Wapakoneta, freshman forward Caleb Adams scored seven points, and senior forward Nate Metzger had six points, seven rebounds and two steals.

    Senior guard Logan Healy scored five points, sophomore guard Kaden Page had four points and two steals, and senior forward Ryan Sadler added two points for the Redskins.

    Wapakoneta shot 44% (17-for-39) from the floor but made just two of six free throw attempts.

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