Niekamp aiding uncle (01/12/08)

Tyler Niekamp and the University of Findlay men's basketball team won seven in a row, pushing coach Ron Niekamp, Tyler's uncle, toward a milestone. But No. 8 in a row, which would have been the coach's 500th win, was no to be Thursday night.

The NCAA Division II No. 9 Oilers lost 66-61 to 18th-ranked Gannon University Thursday night.

Niekamp, a 2003 Fort Recovery graduate, was there to help his uncle in the previous two games, burying 3-pointers off the bench in each. He finished with three points and two rebounds in a victory Jan. 5 over Hillsdale, and had three points and one board versus Wayne State.

He finished with two points, four rebounds and two assists Dec. 28 against Shawnee State, and grabbed two rebounds in a win over Wisconsin-Parkside.

Niekamp has played in all 15 games for Findlay this year, averaging 3.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. He is shooting 41 percent from 3-point range and has 12 assists and three steals.

Ron Niekamp will try again for No. 500 today when the Oilers visit Mercyhurst.

Holly Stein

Fort Recovery - 2007

Led the Defiance College women's basketball team to its most recent victory, recording a double-double in a 92-80 win Jan. 2 over Tri-State.

Stein, the No. 2 scorer on the team, shot 6-of-12 from the field for her 13 points and also grabbed 12 rebounds for the Yellow Jackets. Five of her rebounds came on the offensive end, and she added a pair of steals in 24 minutes.

The freshman also had seven points, five rebounds and a steal Jan. 5 in a loss to Mount St. Joseph. On Dec. 29, she totaled six points, seven rebounds and a steal in a loss to 25th-ranked Capital.

Kurt Hess

Jay County - 2006

Suffered a defeat Wednesday in the Carson-Newman wrestling team's 30-13 win over Cumberland.

Hess lost a 10-6 decision to James Casdaban at 149 pounds.[[In-content Ad]]