Signs of life: Oxford adds to building blocks with win over rival Lake Orion

BY DAN STICKRADT

SENIOR EDITOR

dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com

LAKE ORION — A 3-18 record will take its toll on any team. Seemingly, members of Oxford’s girls basketball team couldn’t wait for last season to come to an end.

With some new life, Oxford is starting to gain some ground after slipping through a major rebuilding year last winter and cemented another building block at rival Lake Orion.

The Wildcats never trailed, opening the game with a 7-0 run and posted an impressive 42-25 OAA White Division victory over the Dragons, who entered the contest one game behind league leader Rochester Adams.

SLICE AND DICE: Oxford's Michelle Gilmore drive through traffic for tow of her eight points in the Wildcats; 42-25 OAA White Division win over host Lake Orion. Photo | Kirk Bearse, www.catsdenphoto.com

“I love the girls out here. They are great kids and I really think they are learning to play with their heart,” offered first-year Oxford coach Stephen Emert, who had 21 successful years coaching the boys and girls programs at Walled Lake Central in the 1980s and 1990s. “I think that’s what we have to continue to do to be successful.

“They are hungry to explore all of the possibilities to see how they can reach out and be as successful as they can be,” added Emert. “They knew they had to grow individually for us to be able to grow as a team. If you watch this team, we’re still growing. Al of the coaches are constantly teaching. The girls are buying into our program. We have a saying: commitment to integrity and commitment to pride. That describes these young ladies.”

Oxford (6-7, 4-3) outrebounded Lake Orion by a commanding 35-14 margin and held the Dragons to just 9-for-36 shooting from the floor, including 2-for-13 from outside the 3-point arc, in moving into a third place tie in the OAA-White in Lake Orion.

It marked the first time in several years that the Wildcats defeated the Dragons in girls basketball.

“We came out and played aggressive from the beginning of the game,” praised Emert. “I was really pleased with the way we rebounded the basketball.”

SWAT: Oxford's Meagan Neff is swatted by Lake Orion's Melanie Heath during Tuesday's contest. Photo | Kirk Bearse, www.catsdenphoto.com

Perhaps the Wildcats followed the lead of senior Michelle Gilmore. The senior collected eight points, nine rebounds, four steals and three assists in leading Oxford. Shelby Davis had 11 points and seven rebounds, Kelsey Harrison scored eight and Miranda Murphy followed with six points and eight rebounds for the Wildcats, who won for the third straight game.

“We got a new coach and he totally turned us around,” smiled Gilmore, who said there is a new breed of confidence and attitude amongst the Wildcats’ player. “We were down in the dumps last year and he just brought us up. His coaching techniques are different. He taught us to believe in ourselves, he taught us to go out and get it ourselves. We didn’t seem to have that last year.”

Lake Orion opened up the second half with a quick 6-2 run, which cut down the deficit to 26-18 with 4:29 left in the third frame. By the time Lake Orion (7-5, 4-3) scored again, there was 37 seconds left in the third quarter and Oxford led 30-20.

The Wildcats opened up the fourth quarter with an 8-0 to build a 38-20 lead an effectively take Lake Orion out of the game. The Dragons did not score for a period of 4:29 spanning the third and fourth quarters and converted just one field goal in the fourth quarter.

Oxford pounded Lake Orion on the glass in the first half, using a commanding 18-4 edge. That helped Oxford roll up a 24-14 lead at the half, as the Wildcats held the Dragons to only a 5-for-15 shooting performance from the floor.

Senior forward Marissa Secontine scored 11 with five blocked shots for Lake Orion and junior forward Emilie Kip added six points and six rebounds. The Dragons blocked nine shots on the evening, but gave up multiple second chance points as Oxford scored 12 points of offensive rebounds.

“We weren’t (in the game in the first half) and then we fought back for a couple of minutes in the second half. We cut the lead to (eight points) but then they went on a 4-0 run and then spread the lead back up to (12) points,” said Lake Orion coach Steve Roberts. “I thought that we could cut into that lead going into the half. We changed up our defenses. We cut into the lead and they just built it back up again.

“We talked about it being a big game. We talked about controlling our own destiny,” added Roberts. “Now it’s a matter that anybody can beat anybody in our league. We’ve seen that. Adams has had some tough battles but they have come out of a lot of them. We have to hope that some other teams can knock (Adams) off. This is the first time we’ve allowed this much of a differential. We didn’t play well and Oxford played well.”

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Tags: Basketball, girls basketball, High SchOXford Girls Basketbal, Lake Orion Girls Basketball, Oxford Girls Basketball, prep girls basketball

Category: High School, Lake Orion, Oxford, Prep Wraps