Tourney rematch

FORT RECOVERY — The Indians have been here before.
Just last year, Fort Recovery lost to Minster by six points during the regular season. But it turned the tables on the Wildcats in the sectional tournament, blowing them out to win a fourth straight sectional title.
The teams will meet in the second of two Division IV sectional championship games at 8 p.m. Saturday at Coldwater with the Tribe once again hoping to avenge a regular-season defeat.
“I know that me and the rest of the seniors told the team (about) last season,” said FRHS senior Chelsea Pottkotter. “We came back and we played so well (in the sectional tournament).”
Fort Recovery has lost five straight regular-season games to Minster, but in the same span it has beaten the Wildcats twice in the sectional championship game.
The Indians trailed throughout the second half against Minster last season in a 46-40 regular-season defeat. And after sneaking past St. Henry by one in the opening round of the tournament, they looked as if they were in for a long night in the championship game.
Minster, the No. 2 seed, scored the game’s first eight points and led for the first 15:34 before the Tribe took over. Kylie Kahlig’s free throw gave the Indians a one-point lead at halftime, and it added a 17-0 run in the second half en route to a 48-33 victory.
FRHS coach Doug Bihn is hoping his team can get some postseason revenge on the Wildcats again this season, but points out that Kelsey Fiely and Pottkotter are the only players on his squad with tournament experience.
“This is a whole different group,” said Bihn. “I’ve only got two kids on this team who have any tournament experience whatsoever. The rest of them are all new to this. …
“We have to be focused. We have to defend. And then we’ve got to take care of the basketball.
“We’ve got to be cool, calm and collected.”
Bridget Geiger leads Minster (15-7) as she averages 14.4 points per game.
The post player also averages 7.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 47 percent from the field.
Clair Fischer has hit 29 3-pointers this season, and Kayla Richard adds 4.4 assists per game.
The Wildcats’ pressure defense was key to their fifth straight regular-season win over Fort Recovery, which came by a 43-40 score at Fort Site Fieldhouse on Jan. 31. The Indians led that game by three with less than three minutes to go, but managed just one point the rest of the way.
Richard hit a free throw to give Minster the lead with 34 seconds left, and Geiger led the scoring effort with 15 points.
“The first time we played them it was an ugly game,” said Bihn. “We didn’t play real well, but they had a lot to do with that. They’re a good team.
“The big thing for us is we’ve got to handle their pressure. We had 18 turnovers the first time, and that’s entirely too many for us.”
Fort Recovery (14-8), which was ranked in the top 10 in the state for much of the season, struggled down the stretch as it finished by playing four games in eight days. It dropped three of those, including a 50-39 loss on Valentine’s Day to St. Henry to close the regular season.
The Indians got some much-needed rest as Minster, despite being seeded second, chose to play in the opening round of the tournament rather than taking a 10-day break. The Wildcats won that game, but just barely as they needed overtime to knock off a feisty New Bremen Squad 52-45 on Tuesday.
Fiely, the No. 2 scorer on the team at 10.7 points per game behind sophomore Tori Lennartz (16), missed the last few minutes of the St. Henry game after suffering a back injury. But she will be back for the sectional championship rematch and believes her team is well-prepared after its week off.
“Our last couple of practices have been really good,” Fiely said. “The intensity is up. … I think this week we know we want to beat Minster and its tournament time so it’s do or die.
“We really need to bring our A game. I know the last time we played them it wasn’t our best. … I know we have the ability to beat anybody if we play our best.”


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