Grove hangs on to top Eagles

COLUMBUS GROVE 43 L-B 38 FINDLAY – Columbus Grove got 16 points from Trevon Baxter, and held off Liberty-Benton for its second-consecutive win. Brady Basinger had eight points for the Bulldogs, who improved to 7-5. Liberty-Benton (8-5) got 13 points from Luke Gerken and eight from Lincoln Holler. Columbus Grove led the Eagles 22-15 at the break. In the third, L-B climbed to within 26-24. But Gage Sautter connected on a 3 at the quarter buzzer to put the Bulldogs up five going to the fourth. Columbus Grove will return to Northwest Conference play on Friday when it travels to Spencerville. Liberty-Benton will host Eastwood in a non-league game Saturday. H-LOUDON 54 ELMWOOD 45 BASCOM – Ashton Miller scored 17 points, and Hopewell-Loudon used a strong defensive third quarter – as well as a sizable advantage at the free throw line – to hold off Elmwood, 54-45. The Chieftains led 32-28 at the half, but then outscored the Royals 8-2 in the third quarter to take command. Hopewell-Loudon also made 29 trips to the foul line, converting 21 attempts. Elmwood was just 7 of 13 from the stripe. Corey Gullatt scored 10 points for H-L, which improved to 6-5. Brody Brickman added seven points, eight rebounds and three assists for the Chieftains, while Kellen Frankart contributed seven points and four steals. For Elmwood (2-12). Owen Traxler finished with a team-high 16 points, while Kason Hammer scored nine and Landry Seedorf and Avery Plouck put up eight each. ELMWOOD (2-13) Hammer 4-0—9; Seedorf 3-2—8; Plouck 3-1—8; Simon 1-0—2; Mendoza 1-0—2; Traxler 5-4—16, TOTALS: 17-44—7-13—45. HOPEWELL-LOUDON (6-5) Miller 5-7—17; Gullatt 2-4—10; Brickman 1-5—7; Stacy 2-2—6; Rogier 0-2—2; Smith 2-0—5; Frankart 3-1—7. TOTALS: 15-44—21-29—54. Elmwood 12 16 2 15 – 45 Hopewell-Loudon 13 19 8 14 – 54 3-POINT GOALS: Elmwood 4-14 (Traxler 2, Plouck, Hammer); Hopewell-Loudon 3-17 (Gullatt 2, Smith). REBOUNDS: Elmwood 24; Hopewell-Loudon 31 (Brickman 8). TURNOVERS: Elmwood 12; Elmwood 15. JV: Hopewell-Loudon 42-35. SWIMMINGS LEXINGTON – Findlay High's 400-yard freestyle relay team won the final event of the night to beat Lexington on Tuesday and earn for the Trojans their first girls swim victory over the Minutemen in six years.Tillie Abbott, Emmalynn Cislo, Eden Kempf and Norah Dolan made up the 400 free relay that touched the fall first in 4:10.81 to compete Findlay's 91-point team total. Lexington, a perennial Division II power in prep swimming, finished with 87.Abbott doubled up by winning the 50- (25.65) and 100-yard (54.84) freestyle events. Findlay also swept the top three spots in diving, led by Megan Guthrie's total of 166.75.Findlay's boys completed the Tuesday night sweep by beating Lexington 93-59.Findlay won all three relay events, placed first, second and third in the 50 and 100 frees and diving, and captured the 100 backstroke as well.Jake Best was in on four firsts for the FHS boys, winning the 50 (23.77) and 100 (51.29) freestyle races, and teaming with Kai Borsay and Stephan Mahler to take first in the 200 free relay (1:36.89) with Nicholas Kasiborski and the 400 free relay (3:31.84) with Maddox Debelak.Debelak and Kasiborskii were also on the winning 200 medley relay (1:50.99) with Blaze Schedel and Jax Dean.Debelak was also a four-event winner, capturing the 200 free (2:01.03) and 100 backstroke (9.06) in addition to the two relays. Dominic Smith was first in diving (188.05).Findlay wraps up its regular season schedule by hosting Toledo Whitmer and Springfield Tuesday on Senior Night. The Trojans will then continue to build for OHSAA sectional competition on Feb. 14 and the district meet at Bowling Green State University a week later. WRESTLINGFOSTORIA INVITEFOSTORIA – Elmwood's Libbie Tyson pinned Ada's Rose Baxter in the 135-pound final and Fostoria's Lily Bernal pinned Carey's Elly Zimmerly for the 235 championship at the Fostoria Girls Wrestling Invitational.Elmwood's Grace Hoffman (145) and Triniti Bechstein (110) were also weight class champions and Corrine Abbott (115) placed second for the Royals, whose 80 team points were second to Sandusky (95.5) among the 21 schools in the event.In addition to Zimmerly's runner-up placing at 235, Carey got seconds from Dakota McKinney (190) and Lydia Black (140) and a third from Addy Hertel (125).Liberty-Benton got a first from Kay Maltran (100) and third-place finishes from Abbi Jones (170) and Amelia Wicker (155). Riverdale's Kelsie Brown (145) and Fostoria's Arianna Espinosa-Snowden (170) were second.Van Buren's Gilly Vermillion (145) and Lochlyn Phillips (120) placed third. GAME CHANGES "Road trip" could take on a whole new meaning for some area boys basketball teams on Friday.McComb will be the home team in a Blanchard Valley Conference matchup with Ada, but both teams will put in a lot of miles before the 3:30 p.m. tip-off at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. The game will be an afternoon prelude to the Cavaliers NBA game against the Sacramento Kings later in the day.Discounted tickets are available that include admission to both the McComb/Ada and Cavs/Kings games.Van Buren will also be the home team away from home when the Black Knights face Riverdale in a BVC matchup at the University of Bluffton. With the school hosting the 47th annual Van Buren Wrestling Invitational Friday and Saturday, the boys basketball game was moved to the BU campus.Van Buren enters the game riding an 11-game winning streak and sitting atop the BVC standings at 6-0. Riverdale is 9-4, 3-2 in the BVC.A key league matchup this week has Arlington (12-3) traveling to Pandora-Gilboa (7-5). Both teams are 4-1 in BVC games, just one game ahead of Arcadia (8-4, 4-2 BVC) and Liberty-Benton (8-4, 4-2 BVC). FOOTBALL The Flag City Phantoms fell to the Haverhill Hitmen, 27-12, in the USFA Orange Blossom Bowl. This is the second straight season the Phantoms have reached the title game. They won it last season. YOUTH WRESTLING UPPER SANDUSKY – Upper Sandusky will hold a 14-under youth wrestling tournament on Feb. 22 with competition in six age divisions. Entry fee $25 per wrestler; deadline Feb. 18. For more information, contact Matthew Luikart at m.luikart@yahoo.com. ScheduleWednesday's EventsGIRLS BASKETBALLFindlay at Toledo Scott