Kelly overcomes late push to claim OIT title

ORAN, Mo. — Like a pair of unstoppable battering rams, Dalton Forck and Reece Eftink relentlessly pounded the paint during Kelly’s victory over Richland in the championship of the 68th Annual Oran Invitational Tournament on Friday, Dec. 1.

While Forck and Eftink dominated the post in the 64-57 win over the Rebels (2-1), Michael Dollins’ emerged as the conductor of the offense, orchestrating the Hawks (3-0) attack and tallying a team-high 21 points.

“It’s extremely nice to start the season with way,” said Kelly coach Noel Trimmer. “This is one of the best small school tournaments in the area we’re honored just to be invited. Winning is a great feeling and a wonderful building block for our team. It’s a motivator to keep us playing hard, and understand that if we keep working hard then good things can happen for us.”

Kelly's Michael Dollins (5) finishes inside during a 64-57 win over Richland in the championship of the 68th Annual Oran Invitational Tournament on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023.Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

The game opened with both teams trading baskets, but Kelly quickly established an advantage, taking an early 11-5 lead after Ross Peters converted a three-point play.

The Hawks maintained their lead throughout the first quarter, closing the period with a 16-12 advantage after a three-pointer from Michael Dollins at the top of the key in the final minute of the quarter.

The second quarter saw Richland seize control of the game.

The Kelly student section cheers on the Hawks during a 64-57 win over Richland in the championship of the 68th Annual Oran Invitational Tournament on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023.Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

Gary Tilley ignited the Rebels' surge with a steal and layup, sparking a momentum shift that saw them chip away at Kelly's advantage. The teams exchanged baskets throughout the frame, but it was Hunter Sanders who delivered the decisive blow, sinking a clutch three-pointer with just over ten seconds left to give the Rebels a narrow 30-29 lead at halftime.

“We started well but we cooled off towards the end of the half,” Trimmer said. “We gave up our lead and went into halftime trailing. We came out of halftime and got the lead back, but turned around, and gave it away again. There were moments we played well and there were moments where we were careless. We might have underestimated the athleticism we were facing. [Richland] was much better than some of our guys gave them credit for. They’re a real good team.”

With Dollins at the helm, Kelly unleashed a relentless 11-3 run that vaulted them into a double-digit lead heading into the final quarter.

Kelly's Reece Eftink (25) drives during a 64-57 win over Richland in the championship of the 68th Annual Oran Invitational Tournament on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023.Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

Dollins' offensive versatility shone through as he drained another 3-pointer from the top of the key, converted a smooth midrange jumper, snatched a steal finished with a layup, and fearlessly drove to the basket for a powerful score.

His all-around contributions ignited the Hawks’ momentum and paved the way for their triumph.

“He took over and controlled the tempo of the game,” Trimmer said. “He made some seriously big shots for us down the stretch. That was probably the difference in the game.

Kelly's Ross Peters (0) posts up a defender during a 64-57 win over Richland in the championship of the 68th Annual Oran Invitational Tournament on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023.Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

“We shot the ball well and finished inside during that run,” he continued. “We’re still getting a feel for how to attack zone defenses with our bigs inside. We know teams are going to clog up the middle against us.”

The Rebels clawed their way back into the game once more.

Hayden Connor's clutch three-pointer trimmed the deficit to a single point, and the pursuit continued as Tucker Hughes intercepted an inbound pass and ignited the crowd with a thunderous two-handed slam, giving Richland a 53-52 lead with just 3:30 remaining in the game.

Kelly's Cannon Kirkpatrick (24) dribbles during a 64-57 win over Richland in the championship of the 68th Annual Oran Invitational Tournament on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023.Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

Kelly regained control of the game with a series of clutch plays. Dollins' floater put them back in front, and Forck and Eftink added buckets inside to extend their lead to 58-53.

But Richland stole another inbound pass and narrowed the gap to 58-55.

The Hawks’ inbound passing struggles hindered the offense and provided the Rebels with vital opportunities to reclaim control of the game.

“Instead of taking the easy pass, we were looking to make that long pass out,” Trimmer said. “I don’t know why I’ll have to look at the film and see why we were forcing it. All three times that happened we were in control of the tempo of the game and started to rebuild our lead. We immediately let them cut back into it by making a bad pass.”

With the game hanging in the balance, Dollins connected with Eftink on a long-distance "Touchdown Pass," showcasing their offensive chemistry. Eftink fought through contact to finish the layup and sank the ensuing free throw, converting a crucial 3-point play that pushed Kelly's lead to 61-55 with just 47.8 seconds remaining.

However, with the game hanging in the balance, Dollins connected with Eftink on a long-distance "Touchdown Pass," showcasing their offensive chemistry.

Eftink fought through contact to finish the layup and sank the ensuing free throw, converting a crucial 3-point play that pushed Kelly's lead to 61-55 with just 47.8 seconds remaining.

“You could see a little bit of the football player coming out in [Eftink],” Trimmer said.

Eftink finished with 10 points, while Forck added 18 points and 14 rebounds.

“They both did a great job inside,” Trimmer said. “[Forck] commands a lot of attention and [Eftink] scored pretty much every time we touched the ball, taking it up strong. He’s fearless.”

Kelly will host Caruthersville (1-1) on Tuesday, Dec. 5, while Richland travels to Bell City (0-2) on Friday, Dec. 8.

__KELLY 64, RICHLAND 57__

Richland 12 18 6 21 — 57

Kelly 16 13 17 18 — 64

Richland (57) — Hunter Sanders 26, Gary Tilley 11, Eric Williams 10, Hayden Connor 6, Tucker Hughes 4. FG: 22. FT: 5-11. F: 11. (3-pointers: Sanders 4, Connor 1, Tilley 1. Fouled out: none).

Kelly (64) — Michael Dollins 21, Dalton Forck 18 Ross Peters 11, Reece Eftink 10, Cannon Kirkpatrick 2, Gavin Dugan 2. FG: 28. FT: 6-14. F: 12. (3-pointers: Dollins 2. Fouled out: none).