2024: Scott-Mississippi: Banks-Warren heats up in 4th, leads SCC to upset Oak Ridge

ORAN, Mo. — Scott County Central exacted revenge on Oak Ridge, edging out a 63-62 nail-bitter in the opening round of the Scott-Mississippi Conference Tournament at Oran High School on Saturday, Jan. 27.

The fifth-seeded Braves’ (10-10) victory not only marked their first conquest over a winning team this season but also served as sweet redemption for a 15-point defeat to the fourth-seeded Bluejays (9-8) earlier in the year, proving they've closed the gap and are emerging as contenders.

“The team played hard and we got great minutes by our younger players in Cameron Bean, Brandon Bean, and Ty Murray,” said SCC coach Tim Carlisle. “Zavior Mize and Tre Sander were able to hit some clutch shots as well.”

SCC started strong, leaping to a commanding 21-13 lead by the end of the first quarter. However, Oak Ridge fought back to a two-point advantage at halftime and extended the lead further to 49-41 after the third quarter.

Facing an uphill battle and missing key player Asher Britt, the Braves mounted an impressive comeback in the final quarter, snatching a dramatic 63-62 victory.

SCC's triumph serves as a searing reminder: never underestimate a team with heart, determination, and a clutch scorer like Namarius Banks-Warren.

Despite trailing through most of the game, Banks-Warren was the spark in the fourth quarter, scoring a game-high 18 points, with 12 of them coming down the stretch to secure the win.

“Banks-Warren and Cortavian Banks both played very well,” Carlisle said. “We were able to push the ball and the pace. We tried to put a lot of pressure on them in the fourth and were able to get some turnovers that led to buckets.”

SCC takes on top-seeded Kelly (15-4) in a semifinal on Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 6:30 p.m., while Oak Ridge takes on eighth-seeded Delta (5-12) in the consolation bracket on Wednesday, Jan. 31 at 6:15 p.m.

__SCOTT COUNTY CENTRAL 63, OAK RIDGE 62__

SCC 21 9 11 22 — 63

Oak Ridge 13 19 17 13 — 62

Scott County Central (63) — Namarius Banks-Warren 18, Cortavian Banks 16, Zavior Mize 9, Ty Murray 9, Courtney Sanders III 6, Brandon Bean 5. FG: 23. FT: 9-17. F: 17. (3-pointers: Mize 3, Banks 2, Banks-Warren 1, Sanders III 1. Fouled out: None).

Oak Ridge (62) — Konnor Hobeck 16, Kaden Borgfield 14, Ty Wilson 12, Karson Ward 7, Brock Hobeck 5, Connor Hutteger 4, Carson Hahs 4. FG: 23. FT: 12-19. F: 16. (3-pointers: Konnor Hobeck 3, Ward 1. Fouled out: None).