The Kalida Wildcats overcame a 10-point halftime deficit and hit 85 percent from the free throw line in the second half to stun the Rossford Bulldog boys’ varsity basketball team in the season opener for both teams, 67-59, on November 23 in the George G. Wolf Field House.
The Bulldogs built a halftime lead, but couldn’t shut the door on a Wildcat team that first eked their way back into the game and then pulled away in the final period. Rossford struggled offensively in the second half and committed 15 turnovers.
In the first quarter, the Bulldogs opened fast when Garette Murphree dished it to Brandon Swope in the paint for two. Two possessions later, Murphree struck for three from beyond the arc. After another defensive stop, RHS worked inside to Derek Vorst for the basket. Kalida answered with a three from Evan Stechschulte before Jake Morrison came up with a steal, hit Murphree on the outlet, and then got the ball back for the fastbreak layup to give the Bulldogs a slim 9-5 lead.
Murphree dropped another long-range shot to open the second quarter. The defense came up with a stop and this time Vorst scored off the break before Kalida responded. On the next trip up the floor, Rossford worked inside to Vorst, who backed his defender down and scored off the block.
The Bulldogs started to gain some separation as they made some plays on defense that allowed them to get out in transition. Morrison scored on a follow on a missed shot, and then on the next possession, Vorst reached high for a tip-in.
After the Wildcats answered with a basket, Murphree stroked another one from three-point range. This was followed up with another defensive stop. This time, the possession ended with a two by Swope on a drive to the basket. The Bulldog lead ballooned to 13 points, but the Wildcats cut it to 10 by the intermission after hitting three free throws on five attempts.
With Rossford leading 2515, they looked like they were about to break the game open. When the second half opened, Vorst stepped back and hit a three-pointer. Guard Brenden Revels scored on a fastbreak after a Morrison steal. But then, the momentum suddenly shifted. Kalida, sparked by two triples by E.J. Miller from the corner exploded for a 12-2 run, forcing an RHS timeout at the 4:12 mark, up just 32-27.
Out of the timeout, Vorst took the ball at the elbow extended and drove the lane for a bucket. Once again, the Wildcats answered with another trey from Miller. The Bulldogs went back inside to Vorst for two, and Morrison converted a three-point play when he drew a foul after a tip-in.
However, the Wildcats made things difficult for the Bulldog offense. Another Kalida run, this time 8-3, pulled them closer. The only basket for RHS during the run was another three by Murphree. Still, at the end of the third, Rossford led by just four points, 42-38.
After Kalida hit one of two free throws, Murphree struck for the Bulldogs again from behind the arc. Kalida then answered with baskets on the next two possessions, including a coast to coast fastbreak that tied the game at 45.
Rossford answered with a resounding dunk off the block by Vorst. On the defensive end, he drew a charge, and on the following possession, was fouled. He hit one of two shots, and once again it looked like the Bulldogs were back in command.
Kalida swung the ball to the corner again, and once again Miller knocked down the three. Then, after the Bulldogs missed the front end of a one-and-one, a Kalida steal resulted in a score that gave them a two-point lead, just their second of the game. After a Bulldog miss, Kalida added to this margin with a floater in the lane.
With time winding down, Rossford called timeout with 1:54 remaining and trailing by four. The Wildcats began milking the clock on offense, and in an effort to extend the game, Rossford had to foul. Kalida made seven trips to the free throw line and hit 10 shots in this stretch to push the lead to 59-49.
Rossford struggled to regain some momentum. Vorst drew a foul from behind the arc and then hit two of three shots from the line. After another two made free throws by the Wildcats, Swope hit another two with 33.8 seconds left. As the game wound down, Kalida hit four more free throws. The Bulldogs managed to cut into the lead with a three from Morrison and one final three by Murphree right before the buzzer sounded.
Head Coach Brian Vorst, noticeably frustrated with the game’s outcome, said, “I thought in general we started out real strong and then in the second half, we got away from what makes us successful. We had too many turnovers and really had a hard time with the physical play that Kalida brought.”
In addition to hitting 19 of 27 shots from the foul line, Kalida also posted four players in double figures. Drew Forusch scored 20 points to lead the team. Miller hit 6 for 10 from the field and finished with 17. Stechschulte added 15 and Jaden Smith contributed 11 in the win.
The Bulldog were led by Derek Vorst with a game-high 22 points. Murphree hit 6 of 11 from three-point range for 18 points and Jake Morrison added 11.
Coach Vorst realizes that the Bulldogs need to learn from the loss. “It’s a good opportunity for us to take a good look at who we are and figure out where we need to get better,” he said.
After a home game against Fostoria on Tuesday, November 29, Rossford will return to action when they entertain non-league opponent, the Defiance Bulldogs.
In a rare afternoon game, the two teams will tip off at 3:30 p.m. for the varsity contest.