Wednesday, January 7th, 2015

Cavaliers pick up first win

By Colin Foster
Photo by Nick Wenning/The Daily Standard

Coldwater's Aaron Harlamert goes through the Kenton defense for a basket during Tuesday's non-league game at the Palace. Harlamert scored 18 points to help the Cavaliers win their first game of the season.

COLDWATER - Playing with the lead had been problematic for the Coldwater boys basketball team early in the season.
That wasn't the case Tuesday night.
The Cavaliers, leading Kenton by six points at halftime, used a 17-7 third quarter spurt to seize control of the game and held on to pick up their first victory of the season in a 60-49 decision at the Palace.
"We've got to get used to playing with the lead. We had the lead in a couple of earlier games against some good, quality teams and we lost the games," Coldwater coach Mike Bruns said, referring to earlier season losses to Marion Local and Celina. "So this was good in that respect.
"I felt like at times, we played not to lose instead of to win. We played with a little stiffness and a little rigidness out there, but we overcame that - and we got the monkey off our back. We got that 'W.' That's the most important thing."
Aaron Harlamert scored 18 points and Andy Brunet also scored 18 and pulled down 12 rebounds for Coldwater, which moves to 1-5 on the season.
Harlamert scored the first four points of the game but then Kenton responded with a 6-0 run. Coldwater came right back and grabbed a 13-9 lead before Kenton's Austin Phillips found convenient banking hours from behind the arc to make it 13-12 heading into the second quarter.
Phillips had 10 of the Wildcats' first 14 points, with his double-clutch jumper giving his team a 14-13 edge to open the second. That, however, was the last time the Wildcats led.
It was a two-man show offensively starring Harlamert and Brunet in the second quarter. Harlamert scored 13 in the first half and Brunet added eight points and seven rebounds as the Cavs took a 25-19 advantage into the break, capped by Harlamert's triple at the buzzer.
"Aaron got us some quick buckets early on, hit some layups and then hit a couple threes," Bruns said. "He's definitely stepping up his scoring from last year. He's really improved a lot from last year, and he's just going to get better."
Derek Thobe's lob pass set up an alley-oop dunk by Brunet to start the second half. Shortly after, Dylan Thobe swished home a three-ball and Jack Hemmelgarn, who had three assists in the quarter, set up Neal Muhlenkamp for a layup to put Coldwater in front 34-22. By the end of the period, the margin expanded to 42-26.
After being limited to just seven points in eachof the second and third quarters, the Wildcats scored seven in the first 1 1/2 minutes of the fourth to bridge the gap to 11. Kenton cut the lead to 55-48 with 1:45 but it got no closer.
The Wildcats were paced offensively by Phillips, who scored a game-high 20 points, and Colyn Blackford (18 points).
Malave Bettinger provided Coldwater with some good minutes off the bench, scoring nine points and adding four boards.
The Cavaliers host state-ranked Delphos St. John's on Friday in Midwest Athletic Conference play.
Photo by Nick Wenning/The Daily Standard

Coldwater's Malave Bettinger shoots over Kenton's Austin Buroker during Tuesday's game at the Palace.

Additional online story on this date
ST. MARYS - A Houston, Texas-based company faces more than $378,000 in fines for exposing three employees to dangerous levels of lead, arsenic, iron oxide and copper at a St. Marys scrapyard. [More]
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
St. Marys facility wants to expand to 317,167 chickens
ST. MARYS - Almost 60 people attended an Ohio Department of Agriculture public hearing Tuesday concerning plans to greatly expand a layer hen farm.
CELINA - The manager of a local construction and demolition debris business on Tuesday was fined and ordered to follow a detailed plan for cleaning up the facility after defying a court order in August.
Village continues talks on solar field project
MINSTER - Village council welcomed a new member during Tuesday night's meeting.
Curt Albers, 37, was sworn in to replace Steve Kitzmiller, who resigned due to time constraints from new responsibilities at his workplace.
MINSTER - Village council on Jan. 20 will vote on action by the planning commission to deny a request by Cottage Cafe owners to rezone the business from residential to commercial.
ST. MARYS - Police are searching for a 26-year-old St. Marys man they believe sexually assaulted a teen on Saturday.
An arrest warrant was issued Monday for David H. Andrews Jr., 1730 Celina Road. He is charged with rape, a first-degree felony, and gross sexual imposition, a fourth-degree felony.
St. Marys 2-0 in league duals; Celina splits
ST. MARYS - A strong start in the opening match allowed St. Marys to pick up two Western Buckeye League wrestling wins as the Roughriders hosted Celina, Shawnee and Bath in a Super-Tri at Murotech Court on Tuesday night.
Highlights & Insights
You could have traveled to Coldwater, to Rockford, to Piqua, to Wapakoneta or to the Lima area and you would have received a slightly late holiday present - the gift of good basketball.
Area Roundup
Compiled by Colin Foster and
Gary R. Rasberry
Another slow start doomed Parkway Tuesday evening in a 63-55 loss to Temple Christian.
The Pio