JV Dutchmen hold off Steelville from free-throw line

Will Johnson, Sports Editor
Posted 1/16/19

Kicking off the 2019 portion of their season, Terra Heidle’s Owensville junior varsity Dutchmen welcomed Steelville’s Cardinals to Owensville High School for a non-conference …

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JV Dutchmen hold off Steelville from free-throw line

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Kicking off the 2019 portion of their season, Terra Heidle’s Owensville junior varsity Dutchmen welcomed Steelville’s Cardinals to Owensville High School for a non-conference doubleheader.

Trailing 38-34 going into the fourth quarter, the JV Dutchmen scored eight of their 12 points in the final seven minutes from the free-throw line before coming from behind for a 46-43 victory.

Saving his best for the final 2:04, Landon Valley hit five of his six free-throw attempts to account for all five of his points.

Also sandwiched in between his five free throws was a Austin Lowder free throw with 1:43 left in the game.

Down 3-2 at the 4:54 mark of the opening quarter, Owensville rattled off an 18-4 run to take a 20-7 lead over the visiting JV Cardinals after one quarter.

Derek Brandt sparked OHS in the first quarter with seven points, three steals, two assists and a rebound.

In spite of being outscored 16-12 in the second quarter, Owensville went into halftime with a 32-23 lead in the junior varsity contest.

Beating the first-half buzzer with a 3-pointer, Brandt led the JV Dutchmen with 10 first-half points.

If not for an Ashton Kramme bucket at the 2:46 mark of the third quarter, Owensville would have opened the second half with a zero in the third-quarter scoring column.

Seeing Steelville rack up 13 points, Heidle’s JV Dutchmen entered the fourth quarter staring at a 36-34 deficit.

Behind most of the fourth quarter, OHS finally got back on top at the 2:04 mark of the final period on a pair of Valley free throws.

Seconds later, Lowder hit one of two from the charity stripe inching the JV Dutchmen lead to 43-41.

After Steelville’s Mason Lorraine knotted the game at 43-43 with two free throws at the 1:33 mark, Valley hit three of his final four free throws helping Owensville overcome 29 turnovers.

Brandt led the JV Dutchmen with 11 points, seven steals, three assists, three rebounds and a blocked shot.

TJ Whelan also reached double figures with 10 points followed by six points and four rebounds from Tyler Heidbrink.

Zaid Epstein and Valley each added five points to go along with four first-half points from Austin Terry.

Michael Miles and Kramme both chipped in two points.

Even with being held to one point, Lowder did his best Frank Sinatra impersonation pulling down 11 of his game-high 12 rebounds in the second half.

Heidle’s JV Dutchmen will return to action tomorrow (Thursday) night hosting Wright City’s Wildcats in a make-up game from Friday, Jan. 11 following a JV girls game against St. James at 5:30 p.m.

Fresh off a win in the seventh-place game of their own tournament, Todd Rehmert’s varsity Dutchmen welcomed Steelville Cardinals back to OHS for the fourth time in less than a week.

Unable to overcome a game-opening 22-2 run by the Cardinals, Owensville fell to the visitors from central Crawford County, 68-33.

Falling behind 9-0, Cason Gray got the Dutchmen on the board with a bucket at the 4:50 mark of the opening quarter.

A Terry free throw and an Epstein 3-pointer accounted for OHS’ first-quarter scoring.

Slowing Steelville down in the second quarter, the Dutchmen only allowed 11 Cardinal points while scoring 10 of their own.

Daxton Mehrhoff, Jay Copeland and Epstein each had three points in the second quarter to go along with a Brady Smith free throw.

Mehrhoff added six points in the second half to finish with nine markers and five rebounds for the game leading Owensville in a losing cause, 68-33.

Boyde Nicks canned a pair of 3-point shots to finish with six points followed by five third-quarter points from Trevor Abernathy.

Playing their first of four games in five days, Owensville opened play Monday night in the Third Annual Belle Boys Basketball Tournament against Newburg’s Wolves.

Falling 57-56 to the Wolves, Owensville faced Cuba for the third time last night (Tuesday). They will face Wright City on Thursday and play again Friday in Belle.

A complete tournament recap will be in next week’s Republican.