Defiance upends Findlay in season opener

DEFIANCE — Defiance was supposed to be rebuilding this season. Looks likes the Bulldogs simply reloaded instead. Bradyn Shaw, one of just two varsity veterans back for first-year Defiance coach Bryn Lehman, converted all six of his free throws attempts in the final 72 seconds and scored all 10 of his points in the fourth quarter as the Bulldogs stunned Findlay 51-41 on Friday in the boys basketball season opener for both schools. "Top to bottom, every person contributed," said Lehman, who this year replaced his father Kirk as Defiance head coach after the elder Lehman, whose 428-258 career record included a Division II state championship in 2015, stepped down after last year's 17-8 season. "We need to bring that little swagger back that we had for 10, 15 years straight where we weren't afraid of the opposing teams, where we weren't afraid to look somebody in the eye and be aggressive and go right at them." Defiance led just once in the first 26 minutes of the game, 18-17 three minutes into the second quarter when Joe Lammers scored off a steal, was fouled and completed the three-point play. Findlay regained the lead on a coast-to-coast 3-point play by Max Roth, led 22-20 at the half, and was up 26-23 when A.J. Adams opened the second half with back-to-back baskets. Following a long scoring drought by both teams, Roth nailed a 3-pointer to put Findlay up 29-25 with 20 seconds left in the third quarter. C.J. Zachrich answered with a 3 in the closing seconds of the period, though, and Defiance would capitalize on Findlay's offensive struggles to outscore the Trojans 23-12 in the fourth quarter. "We definitely were not sharp," Findlay High coach Jim Rucki said after the Trojans, who returned four starters and seven lettermen from a 14-10 team, connected on just 3-of-16 3-pointers and 16-of-46 shots overall. "We couldn't get the ball to go in, even when it looked like we had some point blank opportunities. Give (Defiance) credit. They did a really good job, they made shots, they played hard .... Not much went right for us tonight." Despite Defiance's huge turnover in personnel, Rucki expected what has become traditional Bulldogs' basketball. "They move and cut and pass and screen as well as anybody we play," he said. "I thought we did a decent job (defensively). We just couldn't get the ball to go in on the other end." Lehman had an explanation for that. "We were able to hang in because of our effort on defense," Lehman said. "I think we frustrated some of their better player, not giving them easy looks. I think Findlay is so used to getting run-outs and easy baskets ... We kind of cleaned that up after a few transition looks they got in the first half." Shaw was 0-for-4 from the field through three quarters. But the 6-foot sophomore guard was money in the bank when he got to the line in the fourth quarter. Findlay did get within 38-36 on Roth's basket, and trailed just 45-41 after Roth converted two free throws and Brock Mackrancy knocked down his second 3-pointer of the game. Findlay gained possession with a tie-up jump-ball but missed a 3-pointer that would have made it a one-point game. With Findlay forced to foul, Shaw then went 6-for-6 from the line to lock it down. Shaw finished with 10 points, Cayden Zachrich had nine, C.J. Zachrich and Lammers both scored eight and Isaac Schlatter and Tyler Frederick had six each. "One of the benefits we have is being much more balanced this year than we've been in other years," Lehman said. "We don't have to count on one or two guys. Last year we had two guys (1,000-point career scorers Will Lammers, 15 ppg. and Tyrel Goings, 13.4 ppg) do the majority of the scoring. I think that made us easier to guard, and teams could lock in on us late." Defiance outrebounded Findlay 35-30. Schlatter and David Jimenez, two 6-foot sophomores, led the Bulldogs, Schlatter with eight and Jimenez with six. The Trojans did take advantage of five Defiance turnovers in the first quarter, but the Bulldogs turned the ball over just six more times the rest of the game. Adams led Findlay with 15 points and six rebounds. Roth had 13 points for the Trojans, who are in a bit of limbo with Tuesday's home opener with Springfield canceled due to COVID-19. Findlay is also scheduled to open Three Rivers Athletic Conference play against Toledo St. John's on Friday. "Hopefully, it's a long season," Rucki said. "It's like I mentioned earlier, we have to get better at getting better. We're going to take things one day at a time, but we've got a ways to go. Right now, we're not as good as people told us we were." FINDLAY (0-1) Ross 1-3 1-2 3,, M. Roth 4-10 4-5 13, Strzempka 1-3 0-0 2, Adams 7-14 1-2 15, Makrancy 3-11 0-0 8, J. Roth 0-3 0-0 0, Ankney 0-0 0-0 0, Weihrauch 0-2 0-0 0. TOTALS: 16-46 6-9—41. DEFIANCE (1-0) Shaw 0-4 10-12 10, Jimenez 2-7 0-0 4, Lammers 3-10 1-1 8, CJ Zachrich 3-5 0-0 8, Ca. Zachricjh 4-10 0-0 9, FRederick 1-3 4-4 6, Schlatter 3-8 0-0 6. TOTALS: 16-47 15-17—51. Findlay &emsp;&emsp;13 9 7 12 — 41 Defiance &emsp;&emsp;11 9 8 23 — 51 3-Point GOALS: Findlay 3-16 (J. Roth 0-1, Ross 0-1, M. Roth 1-2, Strzempka 0-1, Adams 0-1, Makrancy 2-9); Defiance 4-14 (Shaw 0-3, Frederick 0-1, Schlatter 0-1, Lammers 1-5, CJ Zachrich 2-2, Ca. Zachrich 1-2). rebounds: Findlay 30 (Adams 6, Strzampka 5, M. Roth 4); Defiance 35 (Schlatter 8, Jimenez 6). turnovers: Findlay 13, Defiance 11. junior varsity: Findlay, 61-48.