By Yaneek Smith

Special to the Sentinel-Tribune

PERRYSBURG — A dramatic run in the second quarter was one of the keys to Anthony Wayne’s 56-51 victory over Perrysburg, but the Generals had to fend off a stiff Yellow Jacket rally that saw them get to within one point with just under three minutes to play.

However, Perrysburg (15-6, 4-3 NLL Buckeye) was unable to take the lead after cutting the deficit to 50-49 following a layup by Joe Dynda with 2:41 to play.

The Jackets forced a turnover with 2:18 to play, but Perrysburg’s Matt Hubbard missed a shot, and he committed his fifth foul with just under two minutes remaining.

After spreading it out on offense for about one minute, AW guard Blake Robison drove and hit a layup with 1:04 to play, giving the Generals (11-10, 2-5) a 52-49 lead. Fifteen seconds later, Austin Shultz connected on a short jumper to cut the deficit to one.

AW’s Hayden Bender hit a free throw with 35.5 seconds to push the lead to 53-51, and Perrysburg’s Carter Young just missed on a jumper, which was rebounded by AW forward Griffin Pike. Pike threw it up ahead to Bender, who scored a layup with 17 seconds to play, and after a missed shot on the other end, Robison made a free throw to close out the scoring.

Despite the intense, anxiety-packed finish, it was a game that drastically changed course in the second quarter. Perrysburg led 13-7 after one quarter but was outscored by AW, 21-8, in the second.

In the second quarter, Perrysburg led, 17-7, following a layup by Hubbard, but the Generals went on a 5-0 run. That little spurt was stopped by another Hubbard field goal, giving the Jackets a 19-12 lead, but AW went on a 7-0 run tie the score at 19-19, and after a layup by Young gave Perrysburg a two-point lead, the Generals finished the quarter out on a 9-0 run, taking a 28-21 lead into the half.

Of those 16 points scored in the two runs, Robison scored eight and Pike chipped in with five.

“In the second quarter, we had all five guys playing together as one unit,” said AW coach Josh Arthur. “Offensively and defensively, we’re starting to find our identity, and we’ve been playing with more passion lately.

“I couldn’t be more happy for our guys because it was an amazing feat. Perrysburg is amazing. We were lucky to win this one.”

Pike led all scorers with 25 points and Robison finished with 21.

“Blake has put in extra time into his shot. His parents make him make 50 shots in their barn before he leaves for school,” said Arthur. “Grif has been a great leader for us. He got hot, and he really played well tonight.”

Perrysburg coach Dave Boyce said the 16-2 run the Generals had in the second quarter changed the trajectory of the game.

“I think the end of the second quarter was the key to the game,” he said. “We fought back and we fouled them, and they made free throws. They missed some, but they made a bunch.

“I think their defense got energy from their offense. We got in foul trouble, and they got even more energy (from that).”

In the third quarter, AW outscored Perrysburg, 18-17, and the Generals led by as many as 10 points after Robison scored on a drive and hit a free throw to make it 40-30. But Gavin Fenneken scored the Jackets’ next 12 points, the first nine coming in the third quarter as AW went into the fourth with a 45-39 lead.

Despite the loss, Shultz reached 1,000 career points and was recognized after the game for his accomplishment.

“He’s a gym rat,” Boyce said. “He’s put in a lot of hours, and he deserves it.”

In the first quarter, the Jackets scored the game’s first five points and led 9-2 following a putback by Hubbard, Pike made a basket, Fenneken hit two free throws, Robison drained a 3 and Hubbard scored inside to give Perrysburg a 13-7 after the first eight minutes.

Fenneken led the Jackets with 18 points, 16 of them coming in the second half, and Hubbard scored 12 points.

The loss spoils any chance of the Jackets winning the Buckeye Division, but they can get Boyce his 600th career win on Friday against Findlay, one of the top-ranked teams in Division I.