LIBERTY CENTER – Junior guard Brooks Laukhuf scored 19 second-half points and 31 overall to lead the Wayne Trace Raiders to a 60-48 victory over host Liberty Center in non-league boys basketball action Tuesday evening in Henry County.

Wayne Trace improves to 6-2 on the season with the win while the Tigers drop to 3-3. The game was rescheduled from an original date of December 8 due to Liberty Center having an extended football season.

The orange and black controlled the opening stanza of the contest, doubling up the visiting Raiders to post a 14-7 advantage after eight minutes of action.

After Wayne Trace trimmed the deficit to 16-13 following buckets from Tanner Laukhuf and Brooks Laukhuf, two Landon Bockelman free throws extended the Liberty Center advantage to 18-13.

A Kyle Stoller two-pointer and a Brooks Laukhuf trey pulled the Raiders into an 18-18 tie but Liberty Center would respond before the intermission.

With the game knotted at 20-20, three-pointers from Aiden Hammontree and Colton Chambers helped the orange and black grab a 29-24 lead at the midway point of the contest.

“I am proud of the way the guys battled,” noted Raider head coach Jim Linder. “We had to play through it and just keep working and I thought we did a good job of that.”

The Tigers were still in front 34-29 after a Hammontree bucket before Wayne Trace answered.

Freshman guard Tanner Laukhuf sparked the Raider run with a three-pointer before two Brooks Laukhuf baskets gave the red, white and blue its first lead of the contest at 36-34.

Wayne Trace never trailed again.

Brooks Laukhuf added two more baskets and another trey while Kyle Stoller picked up a bucket as well to give the Raiders a 46-41 advantage entering the fourth quarter.

“Brooks had a great night for us,” Linder added. “But, I thought we had guys that hit some big shots or make big plays throughout the night as well.”

Stoller and Brooks Laukhuf added a basket and a three-pointer, respectively, as Wayne Trace extended the margin to 51-42 early in the fourth quarter.

Two Landen Kruse free throws pulled the Tigers within 51-44 but the Henry County squad would not get any closer.

A pair of Stoller foul shots combined with two Brooks Laukhuf buckets expanded the Raider lead to 57-44 and Wayne Trace cruised the rest of the way to the 60-48 victory.

“This was a good road win,” concluded the Raider head coach. “We have a busy week so we will get back to work tomorrow and prepare for a Hicksville team that is 9-1.”

Stoller chipped in nine points for Wayne Trace while Tyler Davis and Tanner Laukhuf both recorded seven markers. Hudson Myers (four) and Brady Miller (two) finished off the red, white and blue scoring.

Stoller also totaled seven rebounds, three assists and three steals while Davis posted six boards, two assists and two steals. Cale Winans added three assists and two steals with Tanner Laukhuf and Brooks Laukhuf both getting a pair of steals. Brooks Laukhuf picked up three rebounds as well for the Raiders.

Bockelman paced the Tigers with 15 points and eight rebounds while Hammontree chipped in a dozen markers.

The Raider reserve squad improved to 7-1 on the season with a 47-41 win over the Tigers.

Lance Maenle led a trio of Wayne Trace players in double figures with 13 points while Tyson Gerber added a dozen markers and Brady Miller posted 11 points.

Carter Clemens (seven) and Caden Sinn (four) had the remaining Wayne Trace points in the contest.

Clemens added nine rebounds and four steals for the red, white and blue with Maenle recording five rebounds, four assists and five steals. Gerber totaled four boards and a pair of steals while Miller posted three rebounds and two steals. Caden Sinn finished with three rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Mason Luke topped Liberty Center with 13 points and Ian Gurney finished with a dozen markers for the Tigers.

Wayne Trace has a doubleheader weekend on the agenda as the Raiders visit Hicksville in Green Meadows Conference play Friday night before traveling to Jefferson Middle School Saturday night to play Delphos Jefferson.