OCA Eagles win program’s first SCAA South Region title
The Oakwood Christian Eagles finished the regular season as the Southern Christian Athletic Association South Region champions for the first time in school history and will be the No. 1 for the South Region tournament this week in Collegedale.
Oakwood was scheduled to face Calvary Christian in their tournament opener on Monday, but due to newspaper deadlines, results were not available as of press time.
Should the Eagles win on Monday, they would play on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. against either CAYA or Christ’s Legacy Academy. The South Region finals are set for Thursday at 7:30.
The top two finalists in the South Region tournament will advance to the SCAA Final Four in Rossville next week.
Oakwood Christian 50, Mountain View Christian 43
Down 22-21 at halftime, the Eagles controlled the action in the second half to get the win for seniors Matthew McDonough and Zack Cohen last Monday.
McDonough had 18 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots in the victory, while Cohen had two points and two rebounds.
Garrison Baggett posted his first career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds to go with five steals and three assists. John Jacob McSpadden added nine points, six steals and three assists, while Woody Hass picked up eight points and two assists. Oakwood had 16 steals on the night.
Oakwood Christian 61, Rhea County Academy 52
The Eagles led 27-24 at intermission, expanded their lead to double digits in the second half and picked up a relatively comfortable win over the Warriors in Dayton, Tenn. last Tuesday.
McDonough had another big night with 36 points, while Hass, Baggett and Cohen chipped in with eight apiece. The scoring was rounded out by Cory Taylor with two points and Tyler Epperson with one.
Oakwood Christian 44, CAYA 33
In Thursday’s nightcap, the Eagles from Chickamauga led by four points, 23-19, at halftime and held the home-standing Eagles from Collegedale to just four points in the third quarter to pick up the victory.
McDonough had 19 points in the win, followed by Cohen with eight and Hass with five. Other contributors included Baggett and Epperson with five each, D.J. Terry with three and McSpadden with one.
Oakwood boys 67, Cleveland Christian 65
The Eagles won the showdown for the South’s No. 1 seed as they held on for the win in Chickamauga this past Friday.
Oakwood (14-11 overall) came into the game tied with Cleveland Christian at 11-2 in South Region play. J.J. Lanham came up with a big defensive play late and McDonough blocked a 3-point attempt at the buzzer to seal the win.
McDonough finished with 19 points, 18 rebounds, four blocks and three steals in the win. McSpadden drained five 3-pointers and ended his night with 17 points. Cohen had 13 points and three boards.
Other contributors included Baggett (6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist) and Epperson and Cory Taylor with two points each.