ONTARIO — Tim Mergel thinks his Ontario Warriors are trending in the right direction as the postseason beckons.
A 65-62 overtime win against Crestview (16-2) on Friday night at the O-Rena — his team’s third straight victory — offered additional evidence to support that belief.
But Mergel, in his second year at the school, also knows it’s a work in progress for his 9-7 squad.
“You’re dealing with 15-, 16-, 17-year old kids and you like to feel that way. You just hope that the responses stay the same because we’re playing good basketball,” Mergel said after the non-league win.
“We’re competing at a high level. The game of basketball doesn’t always go your way and you have got to find a way to make it go your way. And with the energy we’re bringing, we’re able to get some balls to bounce our way.”
Crestview coach John Kurtz, in his third year back leading the Division III Cougars, has now seen his team knock off Division I Madison in double OT and take the Division II Warriors into extra time.
“That’s what we just said to our kids. There’s no reason to hang our heads because we just lost to a D-II team in overtime,” said Kurtz, whose squad remains 10-0 in the Firelands Conference.
“We did toughen up our schedule. There’s a lot of reasons for that, but the main one is to get us ready for the tournament. Our program is progressing and we just want to play tougher schools and that’s what we’re trying to do,” he said.
GAME OF RUNS: Ontario roared to a 12-0 lead four minutes into the game and opened a 17-2 gap with 2:55 left in the first quarter.
But Crestview went on a 24-8 run of its own in the next five-plus minutes to take a 26-25 lead with still 5:25 left in the half.
Ontario then answered with a 19-7 spree and built a 44-33 advantage midway through the third period.
Back came the Cougars with an 8-2 spurt to close to within 45-41 heading into the fourth.
The Warriors led 55-49 with 1:01 showing in regulation. But Ontario missed the front end of a pair of one-and-one free throw chances in the final 46 seconds.
Meanwhile, Crestview junior Jarek Ringler converted a traditional three-point play with 38 seconds left and nailed a deep triple from the corner with nine seconds showing to tie the game and send it to OT.
In OT, the Cougars built a 61-57 margin with 2:09, but couldn’t hold on. Ontario junior Grayson Purvis scored five points in the final 1:48, including two free throws with six seconds remaining to seal the win.
Senior Gage Weaver led Ontario with 18 points. Junior Brady Zehe added 12 and senior Braxton Hall had 11.
Sophomore Justice Thompson topped Crestview with 18 points. Ringler finished with 14 and sophomore Tyson Ringler added 10.
MOMENTUM MATTERS: Mergel said his team, which has won four of its last five, is beginning to respond better to momentum swings on the court.
“You start off hot and you feel good, but Crestview came in 16-1 for a reason. They know what got them here. Coach Kurtz has been around for a heck of a long time and he rallied his troops. We knew the run was coming.
“We battled and it was like whoever won the boards was going to win the game. When they made their run, they won the glass. (Assistant coach Carl Schnittke) made that point in halftime. Whenever runs were being made, that team was winning the glass,” Mergel said.
Kurtz said there was no panic from the Cougars, despite the slow start and trailing by six with a minute left in regulation.
“I think being in that situation against Madison helped us. We’ve been in that situation twice this year before this game. Our kids do have a pretty high basketball IQ, so I think that helps.
“But I think the big thing was we got some good looks and six didn’t seem like an insurmountable number. Last Friday at Monroeville, we were down for a little bit and then put a 12-0 run on them.
“So I think we’ve kind of been in that situation enough that we don’t quite panic. And we do try to try to work on that in practice,” he said.
LOOKING AHEAD: The boys’ tournament draw is slated for Sunday, a fact Mergel and Kurtz both know well.
Ontario is currently the 8th-seed in a packed Division II Ashland District that includes Sandusky (15-1), Shelby (14-2), Lexington (14-2) and Bellevue (12-4).
“You always look at that. You can’t help yourself but to look ahead. You just don’t want to get caught looking ahead,” Mergel said. “Our district right now has got a 5-seed who has five losses.
“I hope our kids feel the same way I do and are confident enough that no matter who we go up against each and every night, we’re gonna give ourselves a chance,” he said.
Crestview is the second seed in the Division III Norwalk district, so far.
“The top six teams are really, really good. I think it’s going to be interesting to see how that plays out because there’s just a lot of really good teams and positioning is gonna matter.
“Even in the middle, there are five or six really tough teams that can get you on any given night,” Kurtz said.
