By Nicholas Huenefeld

Special to the Sentinel-Tribune

TONTOGANY — Visiting Genoa outscored Otsego 26-13 after the third quarter on Tuesday, handing the Knights a 55-51 overtime loss in a key Northern Buckeye Conference boys cage encounter on Tuesday.

The Knights (6-6, 1-5 NBC) led by as many as 10 late in the third quarter before taking a nine-point lead entering the fourth.

The Comets (10-3, 5-2) responded, however, with an 11-0 run while holding Genoa scoreless for the first five minutes of the fourth. It’s been a common theme for Otsego this year in league games — taking a double digit lead only to let it slip away.

Otsego did regroup to take a 45-42 lead on a bucket from Kaidyn Hutton with just over a minute left in regulation, but Genoa’s Ryan Routson answered with a game-tying three on the next possession.

After a timeout, the Comets forced Otsego’s Devin Silva into a tough jumper just inside the three-point line, which rimmed out and forced overtime.

“We played five guys almost the whole game,” Otsego coach Steve Carroll said. “I think we had some tired legs out there. But to beat a good team, you’re going to have to play great for the whole game, and we just had a little bit of a lull there. We couldn’t buy a basket. Credit to Genoa, they took advantage of it.”

In the extra session, Genoa made two of three from long distance while holding Otsego to a 1-for-8 performance from the field, including misses on their final six shots as the Knights did not have a field goal following a second chance layup from Bryce Beyer on their first possession.

“Genoa is a really, really good basketball team,” Carroll said. “We knew we were going to have a big challenge tonight. It’s hard to be proud after a loss, but I’m extremely proud of how hard our guys played and how well they played.”

Otsego’s Jack Simpson helped his team get off to a strong start as the senior scored eight points and assisted on the other three as the Knights led 11-5.

Genoa reeled off six straight to tie it after one, which set up a back-and-forth second frame that eventually resulted in a 20-18 lead at the break for Otsego.

Simpson led the Knights with 18 points while Hutton and Carter Lampe tacked on 10 apiece. Genoa was led by Aiden Brunkhorst and Walter Plantz, who had 18 and 16 points, respectively.

“Plantz is such a good player. We were trying to make other guys beat us. They moved the ball well,” Carroll said.

The Knights, which shot 16-for-29 from the field offensively with a .500 performance from long distance through the end of regulation, held Genoa to a 1-for-15 tally from long distance in the first half. The visitors, however, responded by shooting 5-of-13 the rest of the way.

Routson and Jon Huston each made a pair from long distance for the Comets in the second half.

“I think if we keep working, keep moving in the direction we’re going … we get to play them again,” Carroll said. “I look forward to that opportunity. But that’s a good team. I’m proud of our guys.”