Fort falters late for first MAC defeat

COLDWATER, Ohio — A week ago, the Indians handed Versailles its first MAC loss.
On Friday night, their perfect mark fell by the wayside.
Facing the only other team with a perfect conference record, Fort Recovery High School’s boys basketball team stumbled in the final 70 seconds, getting outscored 9-4 in that span in an 85-80 loss to the Coldwater Cavaliers.
The Indians (9-3, 3-1 Midwest Athletic Conference) led by as many as eight in the first half and then trailed by as many as nine in the second. But with 1:30 to play, they found themselves tied with Coldwater (8-4, 4-0 MAC) with the league lead on the line.
It was a Jack Hemmelgarn 3-pointer with 1:03 left that put Fort Recovery behind for good. The visitors missed the front end of a one-and-one free-throw opportunity on their next possession, and Dylan Thobe responded by making two foul shots for the Cavaliers.
A Tribe turnover led to two more Coldwater free throws, this time by Hemmelgarn, as the game got out of reach.
Aaron Harlamert led a group of five Cavaliers in double figures with 19 points as the home team shot 55 percent from the field. Andy Brunet and Thobe added 16 points apiece, Neal Muhlenkamp had 15 and Hemmelgarn scored 13. Brunet grabbed nine rebounds, and Hemmelgarn added five assists.
Chase Bruns hit five 3-pointers and matched Harlamert with 19 points for Fort Recovery, which built a 22-14 lead in the first quarter. That advantage was gone by the time Harlamert hit a triple for the first points of the third quarter, and Coldwater never trailed again.
Caleb Martin followed Bruns with 16 points as five Indians also reached double digits. Brandon Schoen had 13 points to go along with his game-high eight assists, Micaiah Cox totaled 11 points and a game-best 12 rebounds, and Matt Bihn added 10 points.
The loss halted Fort Recovery’s four-game winning streak, as it had topped Parkway, Franklin Monroe, Versailles and Waynesfield-Goshen. The Indians will return to action Tuesday when they visit Greenville.
Junior varsity
Fort Recovery took control in the second quarter and was able to hold on for a 49-45 victory.
After being deadlocked with Coldwater at the quarter break, the Indians outscored the home team 11-5 in the second period.
They hit nine 3-pointers in the victory.
Reese Rogers hit six of those triples for the Tribe and scored a game-high 19 points.
Ryan Braun added 10 points and six rebounds, and Ethan Schoen grabbed eight points.