Coming together
- Updated: December 17, 2017
Things seem to be falling in place for Oxford at best possible moment, this is about the time every year the Jackets turn the corner
By East Alabama Sports Today
GADSDEN — Things are starting to come together for his Oxford basketball team, and it couldn’t be happening at a better time.
The Yellow Jackets used a 14-0 run early in the second quarter Saturday to erase an early deficit, flip the game and go on to win 59-51 to get over .500 for the season.
“Not bad for a team that started 1-5,” coach Joel Van Meter said.
The win was Oxford’s sixth win in the last seven games. The Jackets (7-6) are putting it together in the midst of a brutal stretch of six games in 10 days. They are 4-1 in the first five games of the run, which ends Monday at Fort Payne.
At the start of the year the Jackets might not have and didn’t handle the pressure that comes with falling behind a good team early, but now they take it as just another hurdle that stands in their way.
What makes it such a good sign for the Jackets is this is about the time of year they find the turning point to their season. It usually coincides with the holiday tournament season.
On Saturday, the Jackets trailed the Titans 17-12 in the second quarter, then went on a 14-0 run to completely flip the game. They did it with their glue, guard Eugene Leonard, stuck to the bench with early foul trouble.
That meant they had to keep it together with reserves like Simeon Shadrix, Mont McClendon, Kolbe Warren and Antwon Fegans until Leonard could return to the game in the second half. And they did.
“The key tonight was the bench,” Van Meter said. “I told them last night (at Talladega) our starters carried us, tonight it was the bench, not by points, but by the bench play, because we didn’t give up anything and didn’t give up leads. I thought our bench carried us.”
Among the regulars, Taylor continued to be a force. He led the Jackets with 17 points and nine rebounds. Braden Mack scored 11 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, and Kendrick Foster had 11 points. Markise Davis scored six points and grabbed seven rebounds, but Van Meter said “that doesn’t even touch” how much he influenced the game.
“The biggest thing for us is we finally got some continuity within our roster and we’re starting to settle in,” Van Meter said. “Rock Taylor gives you another bullet. He’s a guy who consistently has shown 12-15 points, 7-8-9 rebounds a night and be productive on the defensive end.
“Braden Mack has really stepped up and been a player; he’s consistently been a 14-15 points a night. And there’s Kendrick Foster, Markise. It’s a well-rounded team. The more our guys buy into that it doesn’t necessarily have to be the same guy every night the better we can be.”
Piedmont 70, Haralson County (Ga.) 52: Freshman Ryley Kirk scored 10 of his career-high 24 points in the fourth quarter as the Bulldogs pulled away from a close game.
Virtually everybody in the lineup had a hand in it. Alex Odam had five of his 11 in the fourth and T.J. Fairs hit two of his four 3-pointers in the eruption. Odam also had seven rebounds, three assists and four steals. Kaedon Jenkins had eight points, seven rebounds and three steals. And Delo Foster had seven rebounds, two assists and four blocked shots. Haralson County coach Anthony Angle played for Tommy Lewis at Piedmont.
BOYS BOX SCORES
Oxford 59, Gadsden City 51
OXFORD – Markise Davis 2 2-7 6, Simeon Shadrix 1 0-0 3, Mont McClendon 2 0-0 4, Rock Taylor 7 3-5 17, Kendrick Foster 5 0-0 11, Eugene Leonard 2 1-3 6, Kolbe Warren 0 0-0 0, Antwon Fegans 0 0-0 0, Braden Mack 3 5-8 11. Totals 22 11-26 59.
GADSDEN CITY – Jacquez King 3 1-1 7, Dee Pearson 3 2-2 9, Jaylen Cole 2 5-6 10, Kam Burnett 1 0-1 2, Darien Hollis 3 2-5 9, Mardeyus Bothwell 1 0-0 2, Jayden Lawson 0 2-2 2, Jamontez Woods 0 0-0 0, Mykel Woods 2 0-2 4, Jashon Chinn 4 1-1 9, Deundre Betton 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 13-20 51.
Oxford 12 20 12 15 — 59
Gadsden City 13 13 8 17 — 51
3-point goals: Oxford 3 (Shadrix, Foster, Leonard); Gadsden City 3 (Pearson, Cole, Hollis). Fouled out: Rothwell. Total fouls: Oxford 17, Gadsden City 19.
Piedmont 70, Haralson County (Ga.) 52
HARALSON COUNTY – Bryson King 3 1-2 7, Enrique Fermine 0 0-0 0, Kaden Henson 0 0-0 0, Enoch Rinehart 4 0-0 9, Nijah Smith 4 0-2 8, Dalton King 2 0-0 4, Lane King 0 0-0 0, Cayden Robinson 0 3-4 3, Jonathan Hausen 8 2-2 18, Marc Harris 1 1-1 3, Sean Mull 0 0-0 0, Bradley McCroskey 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 7-11 52.
PIEDMONT – Kaedon Jenkins 2 4-5 8, Delo Foster 1 2-8 4, Ryley Kirk 6 8-10 24, Logan Pruitt 0 0-0 0, Lee Stanley 0 0-0 0, Silas Thompson 4 2-4 11, Alex Odam 4 1-3 11, T.J. Fairs 4 0-0 12. Totals 21 17-30 70.
Haralson County 12 15 12 13 — 52
Piedmont 13 20 10 27 — 70
3-point goals: Haralson County 1 (Rinehart); Piedmont 11 (Kirk 4, Thompson, Odam 2, Fairs 4). Technical fouls: Thompson. Total fouls: Haralson County 22, Piedmont 12. Officials: Kelley, Hinkle, Braun.
GIRLS BOX SCORES
Haralson County (Ga.) 64, Piedmont 45
HARALSON COUNTY – Tori Causey 9 0-0 24, Alexis Boykin 4 5-15 13, Kayleigh Bagwell 3 0-0 6, Abbey Michalke 1 0-0 3, Clairke Robinson 2 2-2 8, Morgan Pope 0 1-2 1, Katherine Bridges 0 0-0 0, Indiya Smith 2 5-8 9. Totals 21 13-27 64.
PIEDMONT – Kayley Kirk 5 0-0 13, Kaitlyn Ridley 5 3-4 13, Pinky Nation 1 0-0 2, Camron Logan 0 0-0 0, Cassidy Jackson 0 0-2 0, Aliyah Teague 1 0-0 3, Sydney Prater 1 12-19 14, Kiara Jackson 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 15-25 45.
Haralson County 16 15 21 12 — 64
Piedmont 11 10 13 11 — 45
3-point goals: Haralson County 9 (Causey 6, Michalke, Robinson 2); Piedmont 4 (Kirk 3, Teague). Fouled out: Nation. Total fouls: Haralson County 18, Piedmont 19. Officials: Kelley, Brewster, Hinkle. The Lady Bulldogs had three players score in double figures, Prater had eight rebounds to go with her 14 points. Causey kept Haralson County in it early with eight points in the first quarter, then she added 10 in the third.
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