By Jeffery Ratliff
Northwest Signal
NAPOLEON — Napoleon used a 10-0 run in the third period and outscored Bowling Green 27-8 for a nine-minute stretch in the second half to come back from a 13-point deficit in the third quarter.
Napoleon’s first lead of the game came with 4:14 remaining in the fourth quarter, but the Wildcats never relinquished the lead afterwards and pulled away for a 58-50 Northern Lakes League Cardinal Division win Friday night in the Grand Canyon.
“I think we turned the tables on them,” said Napoleon boys basketball coach Chad Bostelman. “We started to put more pressure on them, in the full court and the half (court), and we took more chances. We were able to force some turnovers and that got our offense going.
“Give Bowling Green credit, they guarded us better than anyone has all year,” added Bostelman.
The Bobcats led 38-25 after Kyle Sickler’s 3-pointer with five minutes remaining in the third period. BG led the entire first half, using a 6-0 run, including a fallaway jumper by Ja’ceous Shannon at the buzzer, at the end of the opening period for a 16-6 lead.
Garrett Bateson also played beat-the-buzzer before intermission to give the Bobcats a 29-19 lead at halftime.
Caden Kruse, who had four first-half points (none in the second quarter), hit a 3-pointer to jump start the Wildcats’ 10-0 run midway through the third period.
Zane Peckinpaugh scored in consecutive possessions and Kruse buried another triple to pull Napoleon to 38-35 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.
Shannon’s 3-pointer slowed Napoleon’s run. But after a free throw by Bateson, Kruse scored off a putback and a 3-pointer in the final minute of the period to cut BG’s lead to 42-40.
Zeke Belmares tied the game with a triple early in the fourth quarter, but Karter Shank answered with a triple for the Bobcats.
Trey Rubinstein scored off an assist from Blemares with five minutes remaining and Parker Woods hit a 3-pointer a minute later to give Napoleon its first lead.
Neither team scored for the next three minutes, with Peckinpaugh, off an assist from Kruse, scored inside the paint for a 50-46 Napoleon lead.
The Cats’ defense blocked two 3-point attempts and drew an offensive foul on BG’s next two possessions. Kellen Ressler sank two free throws on a pair of trips to the line to extend Napoleon’s lead.
Ahmir Ruffin sandwiched a pair of baskets around two Ressler free throws over the final 30 seconds, but Belmares put the game away making four freebies down the stretch to seal the win.
“That has been kind of an issue for us,” said BG boys basketball coach Mason Roth. “We go away from our bench on defense and things get tricky. We gave up 19 points in the first half and 21 in the third quarter. We have to sharpen that up.”
“I think we adjusted to their physicality,” said Bostelman about Napoleon’s second-half run. “We also started to sink some shots, and that is the key to any comeback.”
Roth, who received a technical foul in the fourth quarter, said the game was physical down the stretch.
“When one team, which is the smaller team, is getting hit it changes the game,” said Roth. “That is not the reason we lost. But it is tough because we thought we were able to take the ball to the basket and they got their hands on us, (but did not get the call).”
Kruse made three 3-pointers in the second half and finished with 15 points to pace the Wildcats, who are now 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the Cardinal Division. Peckinpaugh added 13 points, while Belmares tallied 12.
Woods and Rubinstein each had seven points for Napoleon.
Bowling Green (3-4, 0-2) was paced by Ruffin with 15 points, while Amspoker added 10 points – all in the first half.
The Bobcats host Wapakoneta Wednesday, while Napoleon travels to Patrick Henry Saturday.
