(January 30th, 2015) – DELTA: Tensions were high on Friday night as the Wauseon Indians traveled east on 20A to play the Delta Panthers. Both teams engaged in a tug-of-war, ensuring for an extravagant performance that would require more than four quarters to transpire.
In what could only be described as a volley between the teams’ offenses, both Wauseon and Delta took off without looking back; the Panthers shooting wide while the Indians driving in towards the basket. The back-and-forth action was most prevalent during the last five minutes of the first half – leaving the crowd anxious and on its feet by halftime with Delta up by one point, 20-19.
Act II of the night would reveal the true strengths and weaknesses in both teams. As Wauseon began to commandeer a lead in the third quarter, leading 60-52, the Panthers would rally to leap over the Indians with 1:30 left to go in the game. Senior Zach Johnson would tie the game at 68, resulting in a showdown in overtime. The Indian boys would exert smart, powerful offense and score 9 more points to cage the Panthers and take the victory 77-73.
Both teams would demonstrate top-quality offense and defense throughout the match; however, Wauseon would surpass the Panthers in combined rebounds, steals, blocks, and turnovers. The Indians shot 57% from inside the 3-point line, 25% from the outside, and a steady 56% from the free-throw line.
Senior Noah Castle led the Indians in scoring with 22 points, with teammates Jacob Newlove and Zach Johnson close behind contributing 21 and 18 points, respectively. Castle had a remarkable performance resulting in a triple-double, consisting of 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 blocked shots.
The Indian boys improved their overall record to 11-2 and 3-1 in the NWOAL, tying Archbold for second in the league.