WAUSEON 1/11/14—A hot shooting start for the Defiance Bulldogs would prove to be too much for the Wauseon Indian’s to overcome, as they would fall to the Defiance Bulldogs 47-39 in non conference action.
Defiance would set the tone for their offense early on. The Bulldogs would score 15 points in the first quarter, all of which were off of three pointers as the Indian defense struggled to find a way to slow down the long range shooting of Defiance. The Tribe would do their part on the offensive end of the court in the first quarter, as four different players would score for Wauseon. As the first quarter came to and end, Defiance would hold a slim 15-14 lead.
The Bulldogs three point shooting remained hot in the beginning of the second quarter, as they would nail another pair of three point shots early on in the quarter. However, unlike in the first quarter, the Tribe offense would be unable to keep pace in the second, as the Bulldog’s tough defense held the Indians to only four point in the second quarter. The halftime scoreboard read 27-18 in favor of Defiance.
Wauseon was able to bounce back offensively in the third period, keeping pace with the Bulldogs, but the Indians were not able to cut in to the Defiance lead at all, as both teams would score ten points in the third, making in 37-28 with one quarter of action remaining.
Things would get interesting in the final quarter. After being held to only eight points in the first three quarters, Noah Castle was able to score eight in the final quarter alone to help mount a comeback attempt for the Tribe. Wauseon’s defense would be able to pressure Defiance in to offensive mistakes. With just over three minutes remaining in the contest, the Indians were able to get within only two possessions of the Bulldogs, with Wauseon only trailing by five points. Just as the the Indian’s started to get momentum, Defiance decided to slow the game down, and run some clock off, stifling any chance Wauseon had at a comeback, and the Bulldogs would go on to win 47-39.
Castle scored 16 points on the night, setting the pace for the Tribe. Jacob Newlove helped the Indian cause with nine, Zac Robinson scored eight, and Corry Byers finished the evening with six.
With the loss, Wauseon falls to 9-3 on the season, but remaining undefeated in the NWOAL at 3-0.
-Mitchell Peebles
