Tigers hold off Wildcats rally

VERSAILLES - Minster roared back after spotting Versailles the first 17 points of the game, but the Tigers' Christa Puthoff hit a free throw with 0.7 seconds left in the game to survive with a 46-45 win over the Wildcats in the Midwest Athletic Conference girls basketball opener at Versailles High School. The Tigers, last season's Division III state runner-up, goes to 3-1 on the season and 1-0 in the MAC.

The Wildcats (1-1, 0-1 MAC) were held scoreless for the first 5 1/2 minutes of the game before before Hannah Schmitmeyer hit a free throw to make it 17-1 in favor of Versailles. Minster missed all 15 of its field goal tries in the first half.

The momentum changed in the second quarter as Minster took away the Tigers' best weapon in keeping Puthoff from getting the lob pass in the paint. The Tigers turned the ball over six times in the second quarter - 11 in the first half - as Minster began to find the basket. Rosie Westerbeck came off the bench to score 10 of Minster's 17 points in the second quarter to pare Versailles' lead to 25-18 at the half.

It was a team effort," Minster coach Nann Stechschulte said. "We ran a lot of kids in and out. They brought the energy after the first four minutes (of the game) and got back into the game."

"In the first quarter, I think Christa had four touches of the basketball, which is huge for us," Versailles coach Jacki Stonebraker said. "Second quarter, I don't think she had any. ... That's what's key for us right now, getting her touches. If she's not scoring, that's fine but we need her to touch the ball in the paint."

Minster continued to edge closer until the 3:25 mark of the third quarter when Taylor Trego scored to tie the game at 26-26. Versailles, though, finished the quarter with an 11-1 run as Puthoff and Lauren Bruns combined for nine points in the final 2:15 of the period to put the lead back up to 37-27 heading to the fourth quarter.

"We had a huge run at the end of the third quarter," Stonebraker said."When we play well, we play well. We play bad, it's hard to dig out."

Versailles fended off Minster for the first half of the fourth quarter before the Wildcats made their last run. Logan Arnold, Westerbeck, Schmitmeyer and Ali Borgerding scored to chip the deficit to 43-42 and then Mariah McKenzie scored with 1:25 left to give Minster its first lead.

The Tigers missed one opportunity to regain the lead, Kami McEldowney stole the ball and got the layup to fall with 41.7 seconds left to put the Tigers back into the lead at 45-44. Versailles, which had three fouls to give before putting the Wildcats in the bonus, stopped Minster's offensive run with a foul, but Lauren Roetgerman was fouled going for a basket with 22.3 seconds left. Roetgerman missed the first but made the second to tie the game.

Versailles worked to get the ball inside to Puthoff and finally got it in with fewer than five seconds left. Puthoff went up for the shot and was fouled with less than a second left. Puthoff made the first and then missed the second as the Wildcats could do nothing more than try a long heave at the buzzer.

"We got back into the game. I'm proud of them," Stechschulte said."We could have just rolled over and said 'We had a tough week.' and made excuses, but they didn't. I would have liked to have pulled that one out."

"I'm glad we got through that game," Stonebraker said. "We got some breaks here and there, but we're a roller coaster team."

Bruns, who will play volleyball at Dayton next season, finished with 12 points for Versailles. Puthoff, who signed to play basketball at the University of Findlay, added 11.

Westerbeck scored 14 to lead the Wildcats.