Jackets’ boys ride defense
- Updated: November 22, 2014
UPDATES: Oxford’s girls rule the boards in its win over White Plains
Oxford coach Joel Van Meter gives his team instructions during the final timeout with 41.5 seconds to play Saturday. The Yellow Jackets kept White Plains from scoring the rest of the game and secured a 63-56 victory.
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
OXFORD – If the Oxford basketball team is going to make its way against a demanding schedule this season, it’s going to be behind the work of its defense.
The green-light offense is going to come with experience, but as long as the Yellow Jackets’ defense remains consistent, it can cover a bunch of shortcomings.
Defense was the watchword Saturday night. The Yellow Jackets didn’t shoot it well, but they played strong defense – particularly in the fourth quarter – and held off a White Plains team with weapons 63-56.
The Yellow Jackets (2-3) trailed by eight with seven minutes to play, but held White Plains to only a 3-point goal with 55.8 seconds left over the final six minutes.
“We were 15 for 43 (from inside the 3-point arc, 22 for 57 overall); you’re not supposed to win those games,” Oxford coach Joel Van Meter said. “We were 5 of 15 from the free throw line in the second half. The only reason you win that game is because of what the havoc your defense creates.
“When you play the way that we play … you hope that over the long haul of the game your defense affects them, so the last five, six minutes of the game maybe those shots that were falling (earlier) in the fourth quarter they’re not falling. When you contest every pass, every dribble, every shot, every rebound hopefully that wears on them.”
Both philosophies stem from the college coaches for whom Van Meter played and worked. The defensive principles were grabbed from his Morehead State mentor Donnie Tyndall, while the offensive philosophy of allowing the players their shot he gleaned from former Jacksonville State coach Mike LaPlante.
Querrian Mason was particularly stout on the defensive end for Oxford in the fourth quarter despite playing with four fouls. That defense sparked the offense and Kaleb Kidd and Mason led the Jackets with 20 and 15 points, respectively. Nathan Gilbert led White Plains with 20 points.
“We’re getting better every day,” Mason said. “Defense wins games. Playing defense gets us better and gets us back to offense. Coach talks about it a lot.”
A quick burst of nine points by King in the middle of the second quarter helped the Jackets erase an early deficit and eventually take a 31-27 halftime lead. The Wildcats (1-1) opened the second half with a 9-1 run behind Gilbert to pull ahead 36-32 and had an eight-point lead early in the fourth quarter before Oxford turned up its defensive intensity.
Two 3-pointers by Jacob Baker fueled a 10-2 run that drew the Jackets even. A 3-point by Blaize Brimer with 1:53 left put them ahead for good and Mason extended the lead. Kevin Carr’s 3-pointer got White Plains back within two, but it was as close as the Wildcats got.
The Wildcats in the final five minutes were 1 for 6 from the floor, 0 for 3 at the line and charged with three turnovers.
“I try to get them to buy into this,” Van Meter explained. “We’re going to play as hard as we can play defensively, be extremely active, and then, fellas, I’m going to tell you to step up and make a play.”
In the girls’ game, Oxford used a balanced offense and dominance on the glass to win 55-42.
Winter Taylor led the way with 12 points, but three other players had at least seven. Ebony Kelley grabbed 12 of the Jackets’ 37 rebounds, while Taylor and Jordan Smith had six each. Taylor and Alex Gomez each had four steals.
White Plains’ Shelby Wood led all scorers with 13 points.
“I thought they did a really good job on the boards,” Oxford coach Tonya Peoples said. “We had an issue with that the past couple of games and we talked about that before this game. I was really pleased with how they took pride and were really physical on the boards.”
All eyes are focused on the result of this shot late in the White Plains-Oxford girls game.
BOYS GAME
Oxford 63, White Plains 56
WHITE PLAINS (56) – Jared Guthrie 1 0-1 3, Jacob Montgomery 1 0-0 2, Kevin Carr 2 1-2 7, Eli Hightower 1 0-2 3, Michael McGuirk 1 7-8 10, Lawrence Jackson 1 0-0 2, Nathan Gilbert 8 4-6 20, Murphy Doss 4 1-1 9. Totals 19 13-20 56.
OXFORD (63) – Kaleb Kidd 7 5-6 20, Jalen Moore 1 0-0 3, Querrian Mason 7 1-7 15, Jakolbe McClendon 2 3-4 7, Jacob Baker 3 0-0 9, Torry Robertson 0 0-0 0, Donte Lauderdale 0 0-0 0, Blaize Brimer 2 3-4 9, Zack Lackey 0 0-2 0. Totals 22 12-23 63.
White Plains (1-1) 17 10 19 10 — 56
Oxford (2-3) 14 17 12 20 — 63
3-point goals: White Plains 5 (Guthrie, Carr 2, Hightower, McGuirk); Oxford 7 (Kidd, Moore, Baker 3, Brimer 2). Total fouls: White Plains 18, Oxford 19. Fouled out: McGuirk, Lauderdale.
GIRLS GAME
Oxford 55, White Plains 42
WHITE PLAINS (42) – Rian Chandler 1 1-2 3, Hannah Barno 1 1-2 4, Chasity Nelson 1 0-0 2, Amber Greenwood 3 3-4 10, Grey Young 3 0-0 6, Shelby Wood 4 4-10 13, Landry Bussey 1 2-6 4. Totals 14 11-24 42.
OXFORD (55) – Anna Bolton 0 0-3 0, Makayla Kidd 1 0-0 2, Winter Taylor 5 1-1 12, Kayla Lowery 1 1-2 3, Tremeria Britt 2 1-2 5, Ebony Kelley 4 0-0 8, Alex Gomez 4 0-0 8, Jordan Smith 3 1-2 7, Alexus Davis 4 0-0 8, Grace Mitchell 1 0-0 2. Totals 25 4-10 55.
White Plains (1-1) 6 11 12 13 — 42
Oxford (2-2) 19 6 19 11 — 55
3-point goals: White Plains 2 (Barno, Greenwood, Wood); Oxford 1 (Taylor). Total fouls: White Plains 13, Oxford 19.
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