Ohio Locker Room - Wayne Trace to state, defeats Van Buren 50-43 (OT)

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Wayne Trace to state, defeats Van Buren 50-43 (OT)

Saturday, 08 March 2008

BOWLING GREEN – The Wayne Trace Raiders kept their dream season alive Friday night with a stunning, come-from-behind 50-43 overtime victory over Van Buren in the BGSU Division IV Regional Final.

The win enabled the Raiders’ players to give Coach Al Welch, who is in his 33rd and final season at the helm of Wayne Trace basketball fortunes, his fourth trip to the state basketball tournament.

Although the Raiders won by seven-points, it was not an easy victory. Wayne Trace battled back a total of three times in the final minutes of the contest, twice in the fourth stanza and once in the extra period, to win the game. Down 36-33 with just over two minutes left in regulation, Wayne Trace worked their magic, as the Raiders’ defense forced two turnovers to tie the score at 36-all and send the game to OT. Riley Linder (11 points) tallied two points on the first forced turnover, while Dane Treece’s free throw on the second Van Buren miscue knotted the score.

The Raiders then fell behind one more time by four-points in the extra period, as VB bolted to a 40-36 lead on two quick buckets. That was to be the last time Van Buren held the advantage though, as Treece drained a two-point shot to cut the Raiders’ deficit to 40-38, and then on their next trip down the floor, Linder stepped up to bury the only three-pointer of the contest for either team, giving Wayne Trace the lead at 41-40. Wayne Trace then sealed the deal at the charity stripe, canning 9 of 12 free throws down the stretch, led by Linder’s 4 of 4 dead-eye shooting at the line.

The Raiders started the contest with an 11-8 first quarter advantage, and then maintained a five-point edge at the break 21-16, thanks mostly to the scoring of Aaron Hockenberry (19 points). Van Buren made its move in the third stanza, as the Black Knights started the second half on a 14-8 tear, turning their halftime deficit into a one-point, 30-29 lead at the third stop. Wayne Trace then won the final eight minutes of action 7-5 to send the game into overtime, in which the locals won 14-7.

With the “W”, the Wayne Trace Raiders (21-4) advance to the Division IV State Basketball Tournament next Thursday night at 8:00 p.m. versus the winner of the Dayton Regional.