Bobcats run to third straight win
HAMLET — Break up the Bobcats. Oregon-davis’ boys basketball team held Lacrosse to just one second-half point to turn a three-point halftime deficit into a runaway win, 59-27, at the Bobcat Den Monday night.
Just two years removed from a one-win season and winners of just five games over the last two seasons combined, O-D moves to 3-0, the best start for the Bobcats since that magical 2006-07 state championship season.
“That’s a new thing for us,” said Oregon-davis head coach Larry Sennert of the undefeated start. “These kids are playing hard and playing a good style of basketball. We’re just going to keep chugging along and get better every game.”
Gavin Sabo led all scorers with 24 points, 15 coming after halftime. Meanwhile the O-D defense clamped down on the Tigers, allowing just a single free throw in the last two quarters.
Lacrosse’s top two scorers - Ben Garwood (20 ppg) and Kyle Goski (16 ppg) had six and four points, respectively, in the first quarter as the Tigers put up 17 to lead by two going into the second period.
O-D was also in foul trouble early on, allowing Lacrosse to reach the bonus for the last 11 minutes of the first half and the Tigers took advantage of it by making 7-of-9 in that situation before the intermission to lead 26-23. The only Bobcat highlight by that time was a four-point play by Jared Bryan.
“We weren’t ready to play when the game started,” offered Sennert. “We may have overlooked them because they had only played one game, but our kids found a way.”
Did they ever. While struggling from the field in the first half, Dylan Murphy buried two of his three second-half 3s to open the third quarter to get the score back in O-D’S favor and it snowballed from there. Sabo scored nine in the period, including a 3 just before the buzzer while the Tigers were missing everything. A foul shot after a technical foul with 41 seconds showing was the only Lacrosse point.
“Our defense did a great job,” added Sennert. “Sabo had a great game. We ran some sets for him, trying to get him to the basket.”
The final period was even worse for the visitors as no field goals dropped,
nor did the only two free throw attempts, while O-D put up 19 more for the final margin.
“We knew there were gaps in their zone defense,” continued Sennert. “We just had to attack them. Once we got to them, things happened; penetrate and kick, old-school basketball.”
Murphy finished with 11 points and Connor Danford eight for O- D. Gorski, hounded most of the game by Layne Fisher, finished with just seven to lead Lacrosse. Murphy matched up with Garwood most of the game and held
him to only six, none after the first quarter.
O-D’S next contest is a road trip to Tippecanoe Valley on Wednesday before a two- and- a- half week break from game action.
“We want one more (win) before Christmas,” admitted Sennert. “It gets harder every game though. Everybody starts playing you and other teams start knowing what you’re doing. It gets tougher.”
• OREGON- DAVIS LACROSSE 27
At Hamlet
LC 17 26 27 27
OD 15 23 40 49 59,
3-4 24, Cam Taylor 1 0-0 3, Kolten Saylor 0 0-0 0, Nolan Green 0 0-0 0, Layne Fisher 2 0-0 4, Jared Bryan 2 1-1 6, Connor Danford 3 2-3 8, Caleb Seese 0 0-0 0, Braden Swanson 1 0-0 2, Dylan Murphy 4 0-0 11, Landon Green 0 0-0 0, Ethan Hewitt 0 1-2 1. TOTALS: 23 7-10 59. LACROSSE: Kyle Gorski 2 3-5 7, Noah Kneifel 0 0-0 0, Carter Burkholder 0 2-4 2, Keegan Mcardle 1 0-0 2, Blain Rust 0 0-0 0, Carter Welkie 1 2-2 4, Jonah Sievers 0 0-0 0, Dakota Grieger 2 1-2 6, Ben Garwood 2 2-2 6, Ian Doms 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 8 10-15 27.
3-pointers: OD 6 (Murphy 3, Sabo, Taylor, Bryan), LC 1 (Grieger). Fouls (fouled out): OD 18 (none), LC 11 (none). Techicals: O-D 1 (Fisher)
Records: OD 3-0, LC 0-2
JV score: OD 46, LC 30