By Kalen Lumpkins

Special to the Sentinel-Tribune

It was a party in the paint for Bowling Green, as the Bobcats (7-8 overall, 2-5 Northern Lakes League) were able to end a three-game skid in a 54-50 win over the Fremont Ross Little Giants (5-9, 2-3 NLL) on Friday.

After a heartbreaking one-point loss to Perrysburg the week prior, BG coach Mason Roth was ecstatic about the way his team responded against the Little Giants.

“We just needed to win a close one,” Roth said. “We have been in a lot of close games that can change the projection of a season, and we just had to get one at some point. Thankfully, we did just enough tonight to get it.”

The Bobcats were red-hot from inside the arc, led by Ahmir Ruffin. The senior finished with five field goals by the basket and shot 6-for-9 from the free-throw line, scoring a team-high 20 points.

Ruffin was proud of the way his team fought back against Ross, and how they were able to keep the Little Giants at a safe distance throughout the game. He hopes that this win will spark a turnaround for the Bobcats.

“I plan to just carry on this performance, (and) keep doing what I’m doing, keep working hard, getting better each and every day and improving, take each performance as a lesson, good or bad, and work to (better) myself,” Ruffin said.

The energy of the Bowling Green faithful was electric at tip-off, and a Grant Sonner three-pointer gave the Bobcats an early 10-3 lead. The Little Giants would come back after a slow start, though, and a buzzer-beater brought the score to 14-11 at the end of one.

The teams would go back and forth in the second, with the purple jerseys winning the quarter 15-13. The Bobcats, however, responded with a buzzer-beater of their own to go into the half with a 27-26 lead.

Coach Roth noted some positives and negatives of the play of his team, especially early.

“I didn’t think we rebounded the ball well early. (Fremont Ross) did a great job getting on the glass (but) I think we also spread the ball well tonight. Karter Shank has 10 for us, and that’s big.”

The red and white lived in the paint for the third quarter, as Ruffin and Garrett Bateson scored pivotal buckets with the foul to give the Bobcats a 43-38 lead after three. Ross would not go away however, as poor free-throw shooting from Bowling Green (57% on the night) allowed Fremont to stay within striking distance.

The Little Giants even found themselves leading by one with three minutes to go in the fourth. Ruffin then, as he has done all season, made a clutch circus shot with the foul to put the Bobcats up for good.

Ross still had an opportunity to tie the game late with possession on their side of the court with 17 seconds left, but Tykell Patterson lost the handle and turned it over. Junior Makai Lee led the scorers for both teams with 22 points.

“We have been in a lot of close games, and for us it’s normal, but winning them now needs to be our new normal, and this was a big step in the right direction,” said coach Roth.

For BG, sharpshooter Jacob Amspoker hit two three-point goals and scored 11 points, Karter Shank scored 10, Ja’ceous Shannon scored four points, and Bateson, Grant Sonner, and Reece Rath scored three points apiece.

For Ross, Dekentre Hardin scored seven points, Dontrell Heard and Tykell Patterson scored six apiece, Michael Stover scored five points, and Ryan Tucker and Dominic Brown added two points apiece.

On Saturday, Ruffin scored 23 points, including five three-point goals, as the Bobcats won their second straight, taking down Tiffin Columbian (8-7), 57-49, on the road. BG opened with a 21-10 first quarter lead and never looked back.

Amspoker scored 16, Brayden Freyman scored four points, Kyle Sickler and Shannon scored three apiece, and Rath and Shank added two points each.

For the Tornadoes, Brady Gooding scored 16, Bryce Roggow scored 14, Zach Shawberry scored eight, Isaac Garcia scored six, and Logan Gooding added three points.