| Rebel squads get top grades | By: By KENNETH COKER, Messenger Sports Reporter
| | Both Obion Central teams got an “A” for effort and execution during Friday night’s sweep of a District 13AA twinbill against Westview.
The Rebels recorded their 10th victory of the season while isolating the Chargers’ most prolific threat, Marcus Easley, to just nine points in a 75-55 triumph. The win puts OC at a mark of 3-0 in the district for the first time since the 2001-02 campaign.
Meanwhile, in the opener, the Central girls doubled Westview — which entered the game at a 14-3 mark — 20-10 in the second quarter and the locals never looked back en route to a 65-44 drubbing of the Weakley Countians.
During the nightcap, Obion Central’s mission was to slow Easley, who is known for his range and 3-point efficiency, and not allow him to get many open shots at the basket. The game plan was a rousing success with the WHS point guard hitting just a trio of 3-pointers.
“We’d been focusing on stopping their outside game all week,” Obion Central boys’ coach Bill Kail admitted. “We knew that we couldn’t let Marcus Easley get any open looks or he could hurt us quite a bit and our defense did a good job of putting a hand in his face each time he shot tonight.
“Defense is what this win boiled down to. When we play good defense, it leads to steals and easy layups or the opportunity to make a basket in transition.”
OC 75, Westview 55 (B)
The lead changed five times in the first quarter with the Rebels finally going ahead for good on a buzzer-beating putback from Brady Boucher.
Justin Owens powered OC through the opening period with eight of his 14 total points and a pair of trifectas.
In the second, Nick Gilliam swished a trio of baskets for six of his 14 points with the Rebels bettering Westview 17-7 in the frame to take a 32-21 advantage into the locker room at halftime.
Gilliam drained two 3s in the third with Cory Green also sinking a trey through the nylons in the quarter. The Chargers (10-4, 3-1 in district play) cut OC’s lead to nine points four times in the frame.
However, Brandon Smith and Silvanus Lee both caught fire in the fourth quarter with 10 points each to propel the Rebels to the 20-point victory.
Lee finished with a team-high 15 points while Smith accumulated 13 markers in the District 13AA win.
“This was a big game for us,” Kail said. “However, we can’t celebrate it too much because we have to play Dyer County on Tuesday, but this was a good measuring stick as to where we stand within the district.”
OC 65, Westview 44 (G)
Chassidy Fussell shot 9-of-14 from the field with 25 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals to lead the Lady Rebels in their walloping of WHS.
Aubrey Reedy was second in the OC scorebook with 19 markers during the dominant victory. Reedy was an astounding 8-of-9 shooting with two assists in the triumph.
“It was good to see Aubrey back in the swing of things tonight,” Obion Central girls’ coach Eddie Suiter said after the game. “Her confidence has been down at times over the past couple of weeks and, hopefully, tonight’s efforts will get her back on track.”
With the game tied at 15-all with one quarter complete, the Lady Rebels (2-1 in district) embarked on a 11-2 run to open a wound that the Lady Chargers were unable to treat.
Jana Roney led the OC charge with five of her nine points, including her only 3-point basket of the night, during the run.
The knockout blow to Westview (2-2 in 13AA) came later in the early moments of the third stanza.
With the score 37-28 in favor of OC, Lady Chargers’ point guard Amber Rechis was whistled for a foul.
Rechis displayed great disdain with the referee’s decision, spiking the ball and getting a technical foul to adjust her attitude.
Fussell made one of the free throws and, on the possession after the foul, she quickly darted under the bucket for a reverse layup.
Fussell was fouled on the shot and she sank the charity toss to complete the old-fashioned 3-point play.
Sports reporter Kenneth Coker can be contacted by e-mail at kcoker@ucmessenger.com. | | | | |
