DOUBLE OVERTIME THRILLER … Joey Ripke puts up a left hander in the lane for Pettisville in the first half of their 36-33 double overtime win at Stryker. (PHOTO BY RICH HARDING / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
By: Nate Calvin
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
sports@thevillagereporter.com
STRYKER (December 7, 2023) – Normally only making four field goals after halftime is a recipe for a loss.
That wasn’t the case for Pettisville in their non-league matchup at Stryker as they used defense, rebounding and foul shooting to pull out a 36-33 win in double overtime.
The teams combined for 5/22 shooting in the first quarter as Pettisville was able to put together a 6-0 run to erase an early 3-0 Stryker lead and take an 8-6 advantage after one quarter.
Stryker’s William Donovan started the second with an offensive rebound bucket to tie the game before Joey Ripke was 2/2 at the line and Jack Leppelmeier added a field goal to give the Blackbirds a 12-8 lead.
Following a Gavin LaBo basket for Stryker, the Blackbirds answered with a triple from the right corner by Joey Ripke and an offensive rebound stick back by Kaleb Wyse made it 17-12 Pettisville.
Jacob Cadwell ended the Pettisville spurt with a bucket, but Ripke responded for Pettisville with a 2/2 trip to the foul line and a score in lane to extend the Pettisville lead to 21-14 at halftime.
Stryker would find their offensive groove to open the third quarter as Daniel Donovan hit three shots in a row, the last being a conventional three-point play to deadlock the game at 21 with 5:08 to go in the frame.
Another bucket by Ripke stopped the Stryker run with the teams then exchanging field goals before Lepplemeier drove the lane for a score as Pettisville led 27-25 when the dust settled after three quarters.
The scoring slowed to a snail’s pace in the fourth quarter with Stryker going to a 2-3 zone and a 3/4 quarter full court press that forced six Pettisville turnovers in the quarter.
A Cadwell layup tied the game, but Caden Bishop went 2/2 at the charity stripe to put the Blackbirds back in front 29-27.
Cadwell tied things up with a jumper in the lane with 3:30 left in regulation as neither team was able to score the remainder of the quarter sending the game to overtime tied 29-29.
Each team managed just a field goal in the first extra session with Leppelmeier scoring on an offensive rebound to make it 31-29 at the 2:03 mark.
The Stryker full court press then forced a turnover and Daniel Donovan scored a transition layup to tie the game at 31 with :42 left as the game was headed for a second overtime.
In the second overtime, Stryker missed their first six shots from the floor and Pettisville cashed in at the free throw line as Ripke and Leppelmeier each went 2/2 and Ripke added a 1/2 trip to the stripe to seal the game for Pettisville.
Pettisville (2-1) ended the night 26% from the field but outscored Stryker (0-2) 11-4 at the free throw line and beat the Panthers on the boards 38-22.
Ripke had 14 points to pace Pettisville and Leppelmeier added 12. Daniel Donovan was the lone Panther in double digits with 14.
PETTISVILLE (36) – Leppelmeier 12; Aeschliman 4; K. Wyse 2; Bishop 2; Fenton 2; J. Ripke 14; M. Wyse 0; Totals: 11-1-11 – 36
STRYKER (33) – Myers 0; LaBo 5; Cadwell 8; D. Donovan 14; W. Donovan 4; Au. Batterson 0; Montague 0; Rupp 2; Totals: 13-1-4 – 33
PETTISVILLE 8 13 6 2 2 5 – 36
STRYKER 6 8 11 4 2 3 – 33
JUNIOR VARSITY: Pettisville, 41-16
GAME STATISTICS
PETTISVILLE: FG – 12/46 (26%); FT – 11/14 (78%); Rebounds – 38 (17 offensive); Turnovers – 11; STRYKER: FG – 14/42 (33%); FT – 4/4 (100%); Rebounds – 22 (3 offensive); Turnovers – 9