Oran rides superior height past Saxony 53-48

ORAN, Mo. -- It may be the beginning of January, but the March district tournament was on the minds of two basketball teams Friday.

Oran will host the Class 2 District 3 tournament, and the Eagles played host to a young, height-challenged Saxony Lutheran team that is trying to rebuild after losing four starters from a 21-4 team.

Oran, with a distinct height advantage with 6-foot-5 junior Jon Morrow, managed to escape with a 53-48 victory, but only after nudging ahead of a pesky Saxony team in the final two minutes.

Morrow finished with a game-high 19 points as the Eagles bounced back from losses in their final two games of the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament to improve to 7-4.

"It nice to come back and get a win against a district team," Oran coach Joe Shoemaker said. "All district games are big."

Saxony, which was playing the second of three games against district opponents in a five-day span, fell to 3-7.

The Crusaders, who had defeated Chaffee on Tuesday and would lose to Advance on Saturday, were at their usual height disadvantage. Saxony tops out with 6-foot-1 senior forward Trevor Mabuce, the lone returning starter.

"We've been outsized just about all year," said 5-10 junior guard Brayton Klaus, who paced Saxony with 16 points. "We've just got to block out and keep playing hard and knock down shots. That's the only way we're going to be able to win."

Friday's game gave Saxony a feel for the gym and a trial run at Morrow before the district tournament. The Crusaders used a match-up zone and double-teamed Morrow most of the game.

"At times, we kept him off [the boards], but at times we turned him loose," Saxony coach Sam Sides said. "And boy he makes you pay if you let him loose. We just have a hard time matching up with anybody that tall. We just couldn't keep him off the boards."

Morrow was his usual handful, finishing in double figures in rebounds and blocking six shots.

Morrow had back-to-back baskets to cap an 8-0 run at the start of the second quarter as Oran took its biggest lead of the game at 19-9. Saxony demonstrated a game-long tendency as it responded with an 8-0 run of its own. Morrow deposited an offensive rebound to start a 6-0 spurt to close the half as Oran led 25-17 at intermission.

Morrow scored again in the first minute of the second half to put Oran ahead 29-20, but the Eagles turned the ball over on seven of their next nine possessions as five Saxony players scored in a 12-0 run for a 32-29 lead.

"They had us on the ropes a couple times and we battled back," Sides said. "We had our chances there close to the end, we just couldn't get it done."

Saxony took a 35-32 lead in the fourth quarter, but Oran junior guard Preston Scherer connected on a 3-point shot on the Eagles' first possession of the period to tie the score.

"He's a good shooter," Shoemaker said. "That's what we're trying to do a little more is get him to shoot those open jump shots. He can knock them down."

Kris Cook gave Saxony its final lead, 46-45, when he drove the lane to score with 2:01 left.

Morrow put Oran ahead for good on its next possession when he stuck back his own missed shot for the second time during the final quarter.

"We kept the ball out of Morrow's hands a little more than in the first half," Klaus said. "But in the end we just didn't block out, and that's what it came down to."

Oran senior Gabe Kielhofner sealed Saxony's fate by going 4 for 4 from the line in the closing seconds.

"Gabe stepped up at the end and hit some free throws, which was nice," Shoemaker said.

Saxony 9 8 18 13 -- 48

Oran 11 14 7 21 -- 53

SAXONY LUTHERAN (48) -- Brayton Klaus 16, Trevor Mabuce 9, Kris Cook 9, Clay Roth 5, Matt Wills 9. FG 17, FT 10-14, F 19. (3-pointers: Klaus 2, Mabuce 1, Cook 1. Fouled out: Klaus, Wills)

ORAN (53) -- Preston Scherer 10, Gabe Kielhofner 11, Kody Moore 2, Nathan Michelsen 9, Zac Chasteen 2, Jon Morrow 19. FG 20, FT 11-19, F 15. (3-pointers: Scherer 2. Fouled out: none)