PHS Girls Soar Over Pilots, Fall To Stryker
by Greg Waidelich Buckeye Correspondent

Pettisville's Katie Weber looks for an open teammate. The Birds split a pair of games last week and are 4-3 on the year.- photo by Scott Schultz

The Pettisville High School girls basketball team hosted the Ayersville Pilots, Monday, Dec. 3, and sent the Pilots home with a 43-22 loss.

Stryker visited the Bird Cage, Friday, Dec. 7, and handed the Blackbirds their first Buckeye Border Conference loss, 47-28.

Pettisville is 4-3, 2-1 BBC.

PHS 43, Ayersville 22

Both teams started slow, and the Birds led 7-3 at the end of one. Pettisville outscored the Pilots 19-8 during the second quarter for a 26-11 halftime lead.

PHS continued to shut down the Pilots defensively in the third as Ayersville mustered only two points. The Birds had a 36-13 lead going into the final quarter and won 43-22.

Both teams were ice cold from the floor. Pettisville was 12/65 from the floor for 18% and 19/25 from the free throw line for 76%. Erica King led all scorers with 18 points. Jodi Spotts chipped in 11.

Ayersville was 9/45 from the field for 20% and 3/4 from the line for 75%.

"Our defense and free throw shooting were the difference tonight," said Jason Waldvogel, PHS coach. "I thought we wore them down with our pressure."

Stryker 47, PHS 28

Pettisville was down 12-7 after one. PHS went on a small run in the second, taking the lead by one, but Stryker finished the half strong and took a 23-14 lead into the locker room.

"We were not aggressive at all tonight," said Waldvogel. "You just can't do that against a team like Stryker. They played well and shot the ball extremely well."

Stryker poured in 21 points in the third while the Birds mustered only three for a 44-17 deficit. PHS turned the tables in the fourth and outscored the Panthers 11-3, but was unable to complete the comeback and fell short 47-28.

No Blackbird scored in double figures. King led PHS with seven points. Pettisville was 10/29 from the floor for 34% and 4/8 from the line for 50%.

Stryker shot a blistering 21/35 from the floor for 60% and was 4/8 from the line for 50%. Molly Boetz led all scorers with 17 points. Haley Meyers scored 15.

BOX SCORES

PETTISVILLE (43) - Beck 4, Short 3, Spotts 11, Nofziger 7, King 18. Totals 12-19-43.

AYERSVILLE (22) - Nicely 8, Okuly 2, Luderman 2, Comden 2, Bauman 8. Totals 9-3-22.

PHS	7 19 10	7 - 43
AHS	3 8 2	9 - 22

Reserve score: Pettisville won 36- 27.

PETTISVILLE (28) - Brakefield 2, Schmucker 3, K. Weber 6, Short 1, Spotts 5, Nofziger 4, King 7. Totals 10-4-28.

STRYKER (47) - Laws 4, Meyers 15, Hancock 4, Hageman 6, Boetz 17, Brown 1. Totals 21-4-47.

PHS	7	7	3 11 - 28
SHS	12 11		21 3 - 47

Reserve score: Pettisville won 40- 29.