Girls – The Lady Patriots did something Friday
night they haven’t done all season, they scored more points in each successive
quarter they played in their win against Taliaferro Co 58-42.
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| Jessica Pulliam working under the boards. |
OC had three players in double digits
against the Leopards. Sophomore Jessica
Pulliam had a career night with 21 points and seven rebounds. Pulliam stayed busy under the basket most of
the night scoring on offensive rebounds or being fed the ball when OC pulled
Taliaferro away from the basket.
Trenetta Smith had another outstanding
evening putting 16 points on the board along with five rebounds and three
steals. Smith’s specialty was the fast
break. When she wasn’t putting in baskets
she was getting fouled and providing leadership for the Patriots.
Following Smith and Pulliam was Latoria
Royal who had 11 points for the game and quick on the fast break going to the
line seven times during the game.
OC managed only nine points shared
between Smith and Pulliam in the first quarter but held Taliaferro to four
first quarter points. The Patriots improved in the second quarter with Pulliam
putting up seven of the 13 points OC scored.
Royal had four and Itika Howard put up two. At halftime OC was ahead 22-18.
OC put to rest my theory that the goal
at the locker room end of the gym is jinxed by scoring 16. Smith, Royal and
Pulliam stayed busy scoring for OC but Taliaferro too, stepped up the heat
putting in 16 points of their own.
The fourth quarter was OC’s best not
only for the game but for the season putting in 20 points to cap the game. Amber Turner and Tanisha Eberheart, who had
been subbing all night finally found the basket scoring five and three
respectively for OC.
It was a well-deserved victory for the
Lady Patriots going into the Christmas break.
OC hosts Jefferson on Friday, January 4th. Both the JV an varsity will play starting at
4pm for the JV and 7pm for the varsity.
You can see the game pictures here: http://hdgp.photoreflect.com/store/thumbpage.aspx?e=8801208
Boys – The boys, like the girls, scored
more points in each successive quarter against Taliaferro Friday night but it
was not enough to overcome a 15 point half time deficit losing to the Leopards
71-67.
Taliaferro started out on fire while the
Pat’s couldn’t seem to get anything to fall. Dylan Pulliam had a three as did
Clay Ogle who also had a basket. These
two players accounted for all of OC’s eight first quarter points. The Leopards on the other hand had 20 points
in their pocket. It didn’t look good for
the home team.
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| Three points from Xavier Eberhart. |
The second quarter was only a basket
better but the scoring was spread out a little more. Besides Pulliam and Ogle, Jay Fleming was on
the board with four, Xavier Everhart had two, Quen Laguines and one while Jared
Culver had a three pointer. OC went to
halftime 15 points down to the Leopards 33-18.
Head boys basketball coach Tony
Derricotte must have taken me seriously when I suggested he work on a Devine
remedy on the goal at the locker room end of the gym. The Pats hit the floor a new, more determined
team and were actually scoring well on that end of the court for the second
half.
OC senior Xavier Eberhart had his best
quarter of the night scoring 8 OC points before having to leave with a shoulder
injury. Culver too had a good quarter
putting 6 points on the board. Fleming
had one from the foul line and substitute Nathan Mallonee had two for the Pats. In all OC had 21 third quarter points. Even though OC was still behind 50-39 they
had outscored Taliaferro by nine.
The fourth quarter was a continuation of
the third for OC. Ogle finally found the
range for a couple of three pointers that added to the 11 he scored for the
quarter. Culver got hot at the foul line
missing only one out of seven attempts plus a three pointer that gave him ten
for the quarter. Fleming put up four
more for OC as well. Pulliam, who is a
starter, hurt his knee about midway through the quarter and didn’t come
back.
OC outscored Taliaferro 28-21 in the
fourth quarter but it wouldn’t be enough with OC losing by four. Still, it was a great come-from-behind effort
on OC’s part. They played hard and
nearly won despite losing Eberhart in the third and Pulliam in the fourth. It was a good game to watch.
On the night, Ogle had a season high of
20 points followed by Culver who had 18.
Eberhart had 10, Fleming put up 7, both Laguines and Pulliam had five
and Mallonee came off the bench for two.
OC hosts Jefferson on Friday, January 4th. The JV boys start at 5:30pm and the varsity starts
at 8:30pm.
You can see the game pictures here: http://hdgp.photoreflect.com/store/thumbpage.aspx?e=8801208
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