GIRLS BASKETBALL: Oxford runs by Lake Orion
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
OXFORD — Now, the shoe is definitely on the other foot.
After nearly a decade of frustrations against arch-rival Lake Orion, Oxford enacted some major revenge on the Dragons Tuesday, running Lake Orion out of the gym with a 69-33 OAA White Division girls basketball victory.
It was Oxford’s first win over Lake Orion since 2004 — the Wildcats never lost to the Dragons until that fall 2004 season — and it more than made a statement that the Wildcats are for real for the first time since reaching the Class A state quarterfinals in the fall of 2001.
Oxford led for virtually the whole game in posting its most lopsided victory of the season.
Shelby Davis led a balanced attack with 16 points and Miranda Murphy also reached double figures with 12 points for the Wildcats. Jessica Murphy and Sam Medici followed with nine points apiece for Oxford. (7-1, 7-0), which held a 30-18 edge on the boards.
LAYING IT IN: Oxford’s Megan Neff drives for the layup during the Wildcats’ 69-33 victory Tuesday over Lake Orion. Photo |Kirk Bearse, www.catsdenphoto.com
“I like the way we have been playing overall this season — all except the (White Lake) Lakeland game,” offered second-year Oxford coach Stephen Emert. “We are getting a lot of contributions from a lot of different girls. We have girls like Shelby Davis, Miranda Murphy and Jessica Murphy who are all playing well and we have girls coming off the bench that are fitting in nicely. It’s was another total team effort again tonight.”
Both teams came out of the gate slow, before back-to-back three-pointers by Oxford helped build momentum and a 20-6 advantage after the first quarter. The Dragons (2-6, 2-5) never threatened after that point.
Thanks to an 18-12 second quarter, the Wildcats built a 38-18 lead by the half.
In the third frame, Oxford continued to pile it on with a 16-4 run to build a 54-22 lead before going deep in its bench during the fourth quarter, where the Wildcats still posted a 15-11 edge for the 36-point rout.
“I like the way we played hard for all four quarters and that’s the sign of a good team — never taking time off,” said Emert. “We kept at it defensively and our (run-and-jump) offense was really working well.”
Lake Orion coach Steve Roberts is a believer in Oxford’s grand turnaround. Two years ago the Wildcats won just four games and the Dragons have posted many lopsided wins over Oxford within the past decade.
“We’re young and we made some mistakes, but you have to credit to them. Steve Emert has them playing some very good basketball,” admitted Roberts. “We shot the ball poorly and a lot of that has to do with their defense. They really get after you and force you to take bad shots. They are also a very experienced team. A couple of years ago they had a lot of freshmen and sophomores on varsity and took their lumps. They have come a long ways since then. We hope to improve in the same way.”
Lake Orion continues to compete without its starting point guard, Hanna Hamay, and lost a couple of seniors before the season for various reasons.
“We hope to get Hanna back and get healthy,” added Roberts. “We’ve had our fair share of ups and downs this season and a that will happen with a young team.”
To submit information to www.northoaklandsports.com, e-mail dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com. To advertise, e-mail advertising@northoaklandsports.com . Follow us on Twitter @LocalSportsFans and more than a dozen other social media networks.
FOR MORE BASKETBALL COVERAGE: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Basketball&x=13&y=12
Have photos or video of this event that you wish to share? E-mail pertinent information to www.northoaklandsports.com Senior Editor Dan Stickradt at dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com or e-mail results@northoaklandsports.com.
Category: Featured Articles, High School, High School (M-Z), Lake Orion, Most Recently Updated Stories, Oxford, Prep Wraps, Top Stories, Uncategorized
