Sports Round-Up by Paul Beitler

WACHE hosts holiday tourney
The Wells Association of Christian Home Educators (WACHE) recently hosted the fifth Holiday Invitational boys’ basketball tournament at Life Church.
The WACHE Warriors took second place, losing to Kokomo 55-49 in the championship game.
Jordan Arnold led the Warriors with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Jade Cale had 11 points and 10 rebounds. Brett Robbins added 12 points, five steals and five rebounds.
In the first game, the Warriors defeated the Noble County Warriors 66-59. Arnold scored 19 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had six assists. Cale added 14 points and seven rebounds. Josh Bertsch tacked on 14 points.
In the second game, the Kokomo defeated Keystone 69-57. In the consolation match, Noble County defeated Keystone 87-72.
Arnold and Cale were named to the all-tourney team.

Norwell MS girls score victories
In middle school girls’ basketball action Tuesday evening, the Norwell 7th-grade Crusaders faced Maple Creek at Norwell and came away with a 43-16 victory. In the 8th-grade contest Norwell won 42-26.
Liara Isnogle, Erika Thornton, Arianna Cruz and Hanna Smith led the team in scoring. Smith and Thornton each had nine and Cruz added seven points. Smith had five rebounds and Caitlin Herndon had four.
In the 8th-grade matchup, Laken Chaney scored 13, Olivia Geiger 10 and Kelsey Beer seven. Alecia Coleman added five points.
On Monday, the 7th-grade Crusaders defeated Riverside 46-3 at Huntington. Isnogle led the scoring with 12 points. Thornton added 10, while Smith had five rebounds.

Crusaders split with Maple Creek
In boys’ middle school basketball action Tuesday, the Norwell Crusaders split with Maple Creek at Fort Wayne.
The 8th-graders won 30-26, led by Brent Bales’ 11 points, hitting three 3-point field goals. Jonah Patten had seven points, Drew Shively four and three assists. Brett Wilson and Cal Clouser each added three points and David Vogel two.
Norwell lost the 7th-grade contest 33-22. Andrew Oakes led the squad with six points, while Piercen Harnish added five and Nathan Allison four. Brandon Burch and Adam Nahrwald each had three and Reggie Hayes one.

Bluffton freshmen top Jay County
The Bluffton boys’ freshman basketball team defeated Jay County 25-24 in overtime on Tuesday. Seth Thompson led the Tigers with 12 points. Chandler Prible added nine and Jackson Lambert four.

Cougars games free to kids 14-under
FORT WAYNE — The University of Saint Francis has 14 home men’s and women’s basketball games over the rest of December and January and the Cougars are welcoming youths 14-and-under free.
All that is required is that they give the name of the school they attend. The Cougars’ teams are in the NAIA Top 25.
The next games are Dec. 14 at Hutzell Athletic Center with a doubleheader, starting at 5:30 p.m. On Dec. 18 the Cougars offer another back-to-back night, tipping off with the women’s game at 5 p.m.