C2D3: Oran avenges earlier L to Oak Ridge

BLOOMFIELD – Both Oran and Oak Ridge went ice cold for a period of their varsity boy’s basketball game against each other on Monday. However, the Eagles were aggressive enough offensively to outscore the Blue Jays 12-3 at the free throw line and held on for a 65-56 win in the opening round of the MSHSAA Class 2 District 3 Tournament at Bloomfield.

“They are very well-coached,” veteran Oran coach Joe Shoemaker said of Oak Ridge. “They are a good team.”

The Eagles (16-10) avenged a 54-39 thumping by the Blue Jays in January, in part, by limiting Oak Ridge (21-6) to only six points in the second quarter.

Oran canned four 3-pointers in the second period and turned an 18-17 margin early in that period into a 38-23 lead by halftime.

“They were hot in that first half,” third-year Oak Ridge coach Cody Bova said.

However, it was Oak Ridge, which was “hot” in the second half.

“They played with more energy than us in the second half,” Shoemaker said.

The Blue Jays began to pressure Oran into the backcourt and got a bunch of defensive stops in the third quarter, as they held the Eagles without a single basket in the third quarter and only eight points (all at the free throw line) total.

“We got them into a press,” Bova said of the strategy, “and that helped us get into transition and put a little bit more pressure on them. We were more aware (of their shooters).”

The Blue Jays sank seven 3-pointers and trailed by just three points early in the final quarter before Oran got back on track offensively to hold on for the win.

“We anticipated them going on a run,” Shoemaker said. “We didn’t answer it soon enough, but we dug in when we needed to.”

Oran produced 19 points from four different players in the final quarter after its frigid third period.

“I told our guys that they battled hard,” Bova said. “We could have given up. Oran had a 15-point lead and we got to within three and just kept fighting back.”

Eagle senior Robby Menz scored 11 of his game-high 23 points in the second half, while teammates Kolten Payne (17 points), Riley Schlosser (eight), Nolan Loper (eight), and Elijah Shoemaker (seven) also contributed.

Blue Jay junior Konnor Hobeck led his team with 15 points, while senior Camren Volz (13 points), senior Ty Wilson (nine), and senior Ahren Fodge (seven) were productive.

The Eagles will now face Advance in the semifinal on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

It will be the third time that the two teams will have met this season.

Oran fell to Advance 61-59 in early December but beat the Hornets 49-40 last week.

“Advance plays so hard all of the time,” Shoemaker said. “They are well coached, and it has been a nice rivalry for years between us. I tell our kids all of the time that you can throw out the records when we play (Advance).

“I’m sure that they will come out ready to go.”