DISTRICT SEMIFINALS … Delta freshman Anna Lohman drives the left side of lane during the Panthers district semifinal versus Paulding at Defiance High School.
(PHOTOS BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
OPEN LOOK … Keagyn Gillen takes an open shot for Delta last week in their district semifinal.
By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
DEFIANCE (February 19, 2025) – Two minutes into the Division V district semifinal matchup between Delta and Paulding, there were already six turnovers split between the two teams.
And while the miscues continued throughout the night, Paulding was the team that took advantage the most, taking a 12 point first quarter lead and going on to post a 46-29 win.
The evening of errors started right at the opening tip when Paulding didn’t react to the jump ball and Abbey Todd got a layup three seconds into the contest. That score would be the only Delta lead of the game.
Brooklyn Schlatter’s right wing three-ball 37 seconds later put Paulding on top for keeps. Keagyn Gillen’s baseline jumper with 6:02 left in the first kept Delta within a point but that was the last Delta score of the quarter.
Four turnovers and 12 missed shots came after, and Paulding converted those offensive woes into a 13-point run that carried into the second quarter.
Tori Schlatter got a bucket off an inbounds play and tripled from the top of the circle, then got ahead in a runout off a Delta turnover to make it 16-4 at the end of one.
Brooklyn Schlatter’s bucket to start the second bumped the margin to 18-4. Todd gave Delta life, drilling back-to-back three-pointers from each corner to bring Delta back within single digits but Brooklyn Schlatter answered from outside the arc to keep Paulding up 23-14 at half.
Delta shot just 6/26 in the first half and had 15 turnovers. Meanwhile Paulding had a whopping 16 turnovers but shot 10/22 from the floor.
Tori Schlatter’s curl around the horn for a score with 6:47 to go in the third, and her dish to Brooklyn Bakle for a lay in got the Paulding lead to 30-14.
Anna Lohman’s shot off the high glass and floater in the key kept Delta in striking distance at 31-20 but Delta could get no closer.
For the game, Delta (19-3) shot 26 percent from the field and had 31 turnovers by night’s end. Paulding (19-5) ended with 30 mistakes handling the basketball but was 14/37 from the floor to offset those errors.
Tori Schlatter’s 14 led Paulding while Brooklyn Schlatter added 11, 10 of those coming in the first half. Keagyn Gillen and Todd had eight points apiece to lead the Panthers.
PAULDING (46) – A. Pease 8; Bermejo 0; Bakle 2; T. Schlatter 16; M. Manz 0; M. Carr 0; E. Pease 2; B. Schlatter 11; Li. Breier 0; Shull 0; Dunham 7; K. Manz 0; Mead 0; Totals: 12-3-13 – 46
DELTA (29) – Maynhart 0; Lohman 7; Todd 8; Kruger 2; Friess 0; A. Gillen 0; Sprow 2; Wyse 2; K. Gillen 8; Mohring 0; Perdew 0; Savage 0; Totals: 10-2-3 – 29
PHS 16 7 14 9 – 46
DHS 4 10 10 5 – 29