Oxford upset in closing seconds
- Updated: February 12, 2016
Chelsea rallies from 10 down to score the winning points in the final 10 seconds; Oxford’s tying shot rolls off the rim
By Brant Locklier
For East Alabama Sports Today
OXFORD — Joseph Lanzi scored a basket and a free throw with 7 seconds left Friday to lead Chelsea back from a 10-point deficit and nip Oxford 58-56 in the Class 6A Area 10 championship game.
The Yellow Jackets’ last-second shot to tie the game rolled off the rim, sending them to play at Albertville in Tuesday’s subregional round.
The Yellow Jackets (18-12) won the first two meetings between the two teams, but it is so hard to beat a team three times in a season.
Lanzi led the Hornets (12-17) with 16 points. He missed a lot of games early in the season, but has just recently returned to full strength and was the difference in the game. Matthew Marquett added 14 points and Sam Towery 10.
The Jackets led 31-23 at the half with hot shooting from the outside as Jalen Moore, Jakolbe McClendon and Markise Davis buried one 3-pointer apiece.
Moore had a huge game for the Jackets with 15 points. McClendon added 14 and freshman Eugene Leonard had 11 before fouling out.
“They played hard tonight,” Chelsea coach Nick Baumbaugh said of his players. “They play hard every day and when we were down at the half, I just told them to trust in the system.
“There were no shots worth six or seven point plays out there and against a great team like Oxford we had to match their intensity. We had to just keep pounding away and running our offense and feel fortunate to get out of here with a win.”
Chelsea 58, Oxford 56
CHELSEA (12-17) — Jay Vickers 1 0-0 3, Aaron Washington 2 2-2 7, Calen Russell 0 0-0 0, Joseph Lanzi 5 5-5 16, Sam Towery 2 4-4 10, Austin Bearden 0 0-0 0, Matthew Marquett 5 3-4 14, Sid Ridgeway 0 0-0 0, Josh Gregg 0 1-2 1, Will Rowser 0 0-0 0, Tyler Coleman 0 0-0 0, Ben Haskins 0 2-2 2, Josh Hanna 2 1-1 5. Totals 17 18-23 58.
OXFORD (18-12) — Torry Robertson 1-2 0-0 2, Jalen Moore 5-13 1-3 15, Jakolbe McClendon 6-15 1-3 14, Eugene Leonard 2-7 7-7 11, Jordan Swain 0-2 0-0 0, Braden Jones 2-6 5-8 9, Zachary Lackey 0-1 0-0 0, Markise Davis 2-5 0-0 5. Totals 18-51 14-21 56.
Chelsea 13 10 19 16 — 58
Oxford 13 18 11 14 — 56
3-point baskets: Chelsea 6-8 (Vickers, Washington, Lanzi 1, Towery 2, Marquette); Oxford 5-12 (Robertson 0-1, Moore 3-5, McClendon 1-2, Davis 1-4). Rebounds: Chelsea 26; Oxford 22 (McClendon 6, Jones 6). Fouled out: Leonard.
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