Jackets pass test
- Updated: December 17, 2016
Saturday basketball: Oxford rallies in final two minutes to beat No. 7 Muscle Shoals; Davis’ putback proves to be game-winner
Eugene Leonard hit five straight points for Oxford to draw the Yellow Jackets even with 30 seconds to play. (File photo by B.J. Franklin/GungHo Photos)
Saturday’s Results
Boys Games
Oxford 56, Muscle Shoals 54
Piedmont 59, Sand Rock 41
Ragland def. Donoho
Talladega 59, TCC 49
Whitefield Acad. (Ga.) 79, Sacred Heart 63
Girls Games
Donoho 48, Ragland 36
Glencoe 57, Piedmont 43
Muscle Shoals 62, Oxford 14
By East Alabama Sports Today
HANCEVILLE — The challenge for the Oxford basketball team Saturday was two-fold: How could it handle playing a quality opponent this early in the morning and how could it handle playing two quality opponents less than 18 hours apart.
The Yellow Jackets answered the call, rallying from five points down with less than two minutes to play to beat 6A-No. 7 Muscle Shoals 56-54 in a pre-noon tip at Wallace-Hanceville.
“I challenged them last night (after beating Talladega 84-75) to come back today with the same joy and passion of playing,” Oxford coach Joel VanMeter said. “We left the gym this morning at 7:15; that’s not easy and we were able to do that. We didn’t play our best game and some guys didn’t have their best game but we stuck with it.”
Ty Davis’ put-back of Eugene Leonard’s off-balanced jumper with less than 15 seconds left gave Oxford (6-3) the lead. The Jackets had two chances to put the game away from the free throw line in the closing seconds, but missed the front end of both one-and-ones, but Markise Davis rebounded his miss on the second attempt and the Jackets ran out the clock.
The Jackets had 21 offensive rebounds in winning the overall battle of the boards 30-15.
Leonard’s layup got the Jackets within three and his 3-pointer tied the game with less than 30 seconds left. Leonard led Oxford with 19 points. Muscle Shoals stayed in it with sharp outside shooting; the Trojans hit nine 3-pointers.
“When I say challenged them, it wasn’t a challenge whether can we come and play hard,” VanMeter said. “It was more can we come and mentally do the things we need to do to beat a good team. I knew we would, but I wanted them to be cognizant.
“Come February (in postseason play), 9 a.m. is the 6A girls game and 10:30 is the guys. You go to Birmingham and it’s 9 a.m. for the girls and 10:30 for the boys. You’re going to have to play at this time of the day and you’re going to have to be mentally and physically ready to go. I thought we responded and kept battling.”
Muscle Shoals won the girls game, 62-14.
BOYS GAME
Oxford 56, Muscle Shoals 54
OXFORD (6-3) – Markise Davis 3 0-1 8, Simeon Shadrix 0 0-0 0, Caden Higgins 0 0-0 0, Kendrick Foster 3 0-0 7, Eugene Leonard 7 2-3 19, Zondrick Garrett 2 3-4 7, Braden Mack 1 3-4 6, Ty Davis 5 0-0 10. Totals 21 8-12 56.
MUSCLE SHOALS – Jacob Puckett 2 0-1 4, Terrell McDonald 0 1-2 1, JaKyrus Noel 0 1-2 1, Mark Sears 4 1-1 9, John Wolgamott 5 0-0 13, Jacob Vandiver 7 2-2 22, Livingston Long 0 0-0 0, Mason Soeder 2 0-0 4. Totals 20 5-8 54.
Oxford 18 13 10 15 — 56
Muscle Shoals 18 12 16 8 — 54
3-point goals: Oxford 6 (Davis 2, Foster, Leonard 3); Muscle Shoals 9 (Wolgamott 3, Vandiver 6). Total fouls: Oxford 13, Muscle Shoals 14. Officials: Draper, Fabian, Weetley.
Talladega 59, Talladega Co. Central 49
TALLADEGA – Fred Dickerson 7 0-0 18, Chaztin Tanner 1 6-7 9, Tyrese Scales 1 1-2 3, Jarvius McKenzie 0 1-2 1, Ashton Duncan 2 0-1 4, Chrishawn Williams 1 0-0 2, TraShaundre Bolden 1 0-3 2, Robert Houston 2 0-0 4, Jae-lyn Russ 8 0-4 16. Totals 23 8-19 59.
TCC – Darrell Maple 2 0-0 4, Kentrell Duncan 0 0-2 0, Scales 3 2-3 9, Makhail Simmons 6 4-8 17, Devin Wilson 3 0-0 6, Devilyn Keller 3 0-0 8, Kylen Cross 2 1-2 5. Totals 19 7-15 49.
Talladega 6 17 18 18 — 59
Talladega Co. Central 15 12 9 13 — 49
3-point goals: Talladega 5 (Dickerson 4, Tanner), TCC 4 (Scales, Simmons, Keller 2). Technical fouls: Scales, Duncan. Fouled out: Scales. Total fouls: Talladega 19, TCC 22. Notes: Dickerson scored 15 points in the second half and Tanner was 4-of-5 from the line in the fourth quarter. Russ scored six in the first quarter and 10 in the first half. Houston pulled down nine rebounds.
CHEROKEE INVITATIONAL
BOYS GAME
Piedmont 59, Sand Rock 41
PIEDMONT – A.J. Fairs 0 0-0 0, Cardavion Myers 1 1-2 3, Taylor Hayes 4 6-7 14, Derrick Baer 0 0-0 0, Easton Kirk 7 0-0 18, Carl Myers 1 1-1 3, Shane McCord 1 0-0 2, Austin Brazier 3 5-6 11, Weston Kirk 1 5-6 7, T.J. Fairs 0 1-2 1, Kaedon Jenkins 0 0-0 0, Gage Boatner 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 19-24 59.
SAND ROCK – Brett Lawless 1 0-0 2, Cade Clark 5 0-3 10, Billy Carver 1 2-4 4, Jack Boyd 5 0-0 10, Carson Carver 2 0-0 5, Michael Stevens 2 0-1 4, Jansen Alexander 1 0-0 3, Joshua Sarratt 0 2-2 2, Cade Ballenger 0 1-2 1. Totals 17 5-12 41.
Piedmont 16 12 8 23 — 59
Sand Rock 10 10 8 13 — 41
3-point goals: Piedmont 4 (Kirk 4); Sand Rock 2 (C. Carver, Alexander). Technical foul: Alexander. Total fouls: Piedmont 14, Sand Rock 17. Officials: Campbell, Guyton, Ingram. Notes: Piedmont hit 9 of 10 free throws in the fourth quarter. Kirk scored all his points in the first half. Hayes scored 12 of his points in the second half. Piedmont plays Collinsville winner Monday at 7:30 p.m.
GIRLS GAME
Glencoe 57, Piedmont 43
PIEDMONT – Breanna Brazier 1 2-3 5, Kaitlyn Ridley 2 1-2 5, Lulu Jackson 4 2-4 10, Camron Logan 0 0-0 0, Sydney Prater 4 7-12 16, Rebecca Smart 2 3-6 7, Kiara Jackson 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 15-27 43.
GLENCOE – Anna Goodwin 2 1-2 7, Anna Giles 5 7-10 17, Abby Vice 1 0-0 2, Ashley Morgan 3 0-3 6, Kenleigh Harper 3 0-0 6, Lauren Cole 4 2-2 10, Lauren Moore 0 0-0 0, Skylar Thompson 2 1-2 5, Cami Zahorscak 1 1-2 4. Totals 21 12-21 57.
Piedmont 16 11 6 10 — 43
Glencoe 12 6 17 22 — 57
3-point goals: Piedmont 2 (Brazier, Prater); Glencoe 3 (Goodwin 2, Zahorscak). Total fouls: Piedmont 16, Glencoe 17. Officials: Ingram, Campbell, Guyton. Notes: Giles scored 15 points in the second half, 10 in the fourth quarter. Piedmont plays the Spring Garden Monday at noon.
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