(March 3rd, 2015) – WAUSEON: Although Montpelier led for most of the game, the Locos just couldn’t hang on as fellow North Western Ohio Athletic League team Evergreen stole the lead with minutes to go.
The Locomotive boys dropped the Sectional match-up with the Vikings by a single point, 46-45.
Montpelier’s strategy was to slow the game down, take their time running their offense, and, of course, score the ball whenever possible. Right away, this strategy paid dividends, as the Locos claimed an 11-7 lead by the first quarter’s conclusion. They continued to build on that gap in the second stanza, distancing themselves from the Viking boys by an additional 3 points, due to a 9-6 effort. Going into the half, the boys of Montpelier enjoyed a 20-13 advantage.
Evergreen came out of halftime ready to take charge. The Vikings totaled 14 points in the third period, one more point than they scored in the entire first half. The Loco offense didn’t back down, however, scoring 11 points of their own in that span. Up by just 4 points at the start of the fourth quarter, Montpelier knew they had a serious fight on their hands if they hoped to maintain their lead.
Both teams had their highest offensive totals of the contest in the last frame. A determined Evergreen squad racked up 19 points as they continued their second half rally. Montpelier put up 14 points down the stretch. That wasn’t enough to stay ahead of the Vikings, and the Locomotives lost the game by a 1 point margin.
Kolden Uribes, a Loco freshmen, managed 12 points for the Montpelier boys, hitting a three and driving hard at the rim. Senior Jacob Leung also scored 12, knocking down a couple of threes and a trio of mid-range jump shots. Another fourth year player, Nate McCord, had a strong evening in the paint, earning 11 points the hard way.
