Midview grinds out gritty fourth quarter, downs Oberlin

The fourth quarter started off with the score tied, 45-45, in Midview as the Middies took on Oberlin on Dec. 7. The game could have gone either way with eight lead changes. But Midview pulled through to win 68-62 at home.

“That was a gritty fourth quarter,” Middies coach Jim Brabenec said after the win. “Aden Gregory took two charges in the fourth quarter. That won us the game… As a team, I thought Mark Reed was unheralded in that game. He did a fantastic job for us. Runser knocking down some free-throws down the stretch was really big.”

Middies’ Michael Hazzard (15 points, 9 rebounds), Ryan Runser (12 points) and Bryce Newton (11 points) played key roles with Gregory to finish off the Phoenix. Runser knocked down key threepointers with Newton and made critical free-throws with Hazzard to close the game.

Midview (3-1, 0-1 in SWC) had to come back after a slow first quarter. They trailed Oberlin (1-2,

1-0 in LC8) 21-12 heading into the second by conceding

a 13-2 run. “(Oberlin’s Isaac Thompson)

got a ton of offensive rebounds and was finishing them in the first quarter, but we kept playing,” Brabenec said. “We fought through it. I hope that is a springboard moving forward.”

Midview made adjustments in the second quarter to rally back and cut the lead to 26-27 heading into halftime.

“We start hitting shots,” Brabenec said. “We started getting more looks and we started getting more defensive rebounds; limiting them to one shot in the second quarter. It proved to get us back in the game.”

Midview’s Gregory, game into the game averaging 17.7 points per game. He showed why he was their best scorer against Oberlin scoring a team-high 27 points after a slow start to the game.

“I was able to get going by ball movement and a lot of teamwork,” Gregory said. “They were able to find me, which is really helpful and then I can find them back and then that when we were able to go on the run and come back.

He also made an and-1 with 16 second left to lead 66-62 with 16 second left, putting them up by two possessions.

JENNIFER FORBUS — FOR THE MORNING JOURNAL Midview’s Bryce Newton hooks the ball over his shoulder and Oberlin defender Marius Harrell to pass it off to a teammate.