LADY RAIDERS DISTRICT CHAMPS; CLAIRE SINN BREAKS SCORING RECORD
By: Joe Shouse, Sports Writer
DEFIANCE – The Wayne Trace Lady Raiders picked up the second district title in school history last Saturday at Defiance High School. The Raiders tangled with the Ottoville Big Green and when the dust cleared it was the Raiders winning out 60-49. Earlier in the season Ottoville defeated the Raiders in overtime and it was the Big Green who knocked the Raiders out of tournament play last year.
The game was highlighted when Claire Sinn set the school mark for most points by a Lady Raider. Sinn, who finished the night with 24 points and nine rebounds, surpassed 2016 graduate Erin Mohr who had held the record with 1,447 career points. When the contest ended Sinn was sitting at the top with 1,469 points with at least one more game to play. The Raiders will head to Regional play at the Elida Fieldhouse on Thursday with a scheduled tip-off set for 8:00 p.m. The Raiders will play Kalida in the second game.
In the Ottoville match-up it appeared the Raiders would run away from Big Green. Wayne Trace took an early lead and moved out to an 11 point margin after one quarter of play 19-8. The red, white, and blue lead by as many as 18 in the second period before settling for a 35-22 advantage at the break.
However, the third quarter momentum quickly turned to Ottoville who whittle the Raider lead down to five with 5:00 remaining 36-31. The Raiders responded with a Claire Sinn basket and a free throw from Gracie Shepherd and two throws from Rachel Stoller to put the Raider lead back to double-digits at 41-31. Ottoville secured the final two-points of the quarter to send the Raiders into the fourth quarter holding a 41-33 lead.
Ottoville trimmed the Raider lead to five (36-31) in the early going but would get no closer. Two Claire Sinn free throws at the 3:30 mark had the Raiders up 51-40. The final nine Raider points came from the foul line to ice the big win and the district title for the Raiders.
Also scoring for the Raiders: Rachel Stoller 12 points, five rebounds; Miriam Sinn nine points; Gracie Shepherd six points, seven rebounds; Katrina Stoller six points; Katie Stoller three points.
