Fourth-quarter rally falls short for OCA boys in title game
Three times in the regular season, the Shenandoah Baptist Lions and the Oakwood Christian Eagles met on the basketball court and all three games were decided by just a couple of shots.
That trend would continue in the Southern Christian Athletic Association finals Saturday night in Rossville, but unfortunately for the Eagles and their fans, the result turned out to be the same.
Before a packed house at the Rossville Athletic Center, the Lions withstood a furious rally in the final minute of the game to claim victory over the Eagles for the fourth time this season, this time by a 44-41 count.
Oakwood led 8-7 midway through the first quarter, but Shenandoah would end the period on a 9-0 run before a 3-pointer by Caleb Epperson 45 seconds into the second finally ended the Eagles’ scoring drought.
However, fouls and turnovers would start to pile up for the Eagles they struggled to find their rhythm offensively. Shenandoah would go up by as many as 11 points in the second period, but two 3-pointers by Jacob Wellwood in the final 2:57 of the half would help pull Oakwood to within eight points, 26-18, at intermission.
Woody Hass opened the second half with a 3-pointer and Philip Davis got inside for a basket off an inbound play to slice the Lions’ lead down to three points at the 5:11 mark. But Shenandoah would counter with an 8-0 run and they would take a 36-28 lead into the final period of play.
Three consecutive steals on the defensive end, two by Wellwood and one by Hass, would lead to six unanswered points by Wellwood as Oakwood pulled to within two points of lead with 4:49 left to play. However, it would be the final points for the Eagles for the next four minutes of action.
Fortunately for the Eagles, Shenandoah would go just 4-of-12 at the free throw line during that span to keep Oakwood in the game. Cory Taylor would hit both ends of a one-and-one with 48 seconds to go and, following a free throw by Shenandoah’s Jonathan Patterson, Taylor would bank in a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 31 seconds remaining to make it a 43-41 game and bring the Oakwood fans to their feet.
Forced to foul, Oakwood put James Patterson on the line with 22 seconds to left and Patterson would make one of two attempts. The Eagles would call timeout with 18 seconds to go, looking to set up a final, game-tying 3-point attempt.
Oakwood would get another look from the top of the key and two offensive rebounds would result in two more shot attempts from behind the arc, but none of them would fall as Lions would hold on to take the championship trophy back to Cleveland, Tenn.
“Shenandoah was ready,” OCA head coach Wayne McDonough said. “They did a really good job of slowing us down. We kind of got frustrated, but we finally began to settle down and find a rhythm there (in the fourth quarter). We just couldn’t get that last shot to go in at the end.”
Wellwood finished with four 3-pointers on the night and 16 total points, although he was unable to play in the final 4:21 of the game after tweaking an ankle. Hass finished with 10 points and Taylor added four for the Eagles. Caleb Epperson and Tyler Epperson had three points apiece. Davis and Andrew Phillips both finished with two and Garrison Baggett chipped in with one.
Oakwood’s tournament finals appearance came just one season after a 6-17 campaign which ended with a firstround tournament loss.
“It’s pretty awesome, but the guys really don’t see it yet,” McDonough explained. “They really wanted to win (tonight), but you have to look back at where we were two or three years ago and compare it to where we are now. We’ve gone from being in last place to competing for first place and that’s special for the whole Oakwood family.”
McDonough added that the Eagles’ senior class would be greatly missed next season.
“It’s a special group,” he added. “They’re just a bunch of winners. We’re seven strong with seniors and they really do everything together. They’re really brothers and it goes way beyond basketball. It’s just an awesome group and I can’t say enough about them.”
Wellwood and Baggett were later named to the SCAA All-Tournament Team.
Oakwood boys 62, Calvary Christian 57
In Thursday’s semifinal game, the Eagles picked up their first-ever win at the R.A.C., thanks in part to a decisive 12-4 fourth-quarter run.
Wellwood picked up 15 points and Hass added 14 in the win. Chase Lanham finished with six points, followed by Phillips with five and Taylor with four. Davis, Caleb Epperson and Tyler Epperson all chipped in with two for Oakwood, who connected on eight 3-pointers as a team.