DUKE CENTER –– If there was a script for Oswayo Valley to go into Otto-Eldred’s Terror Dome and steal a victory, the Green Wave did just about everything needed to win.
Keep the Terrors to under 40 points? Check. Hold shooting guard Dylan Close to zero points? Check. Convert easy baskets for points? Not so much, as Otto-Eldred (12-8, 11-3 NTL) took a key late-season North Tier League game from the Green Wave, 39-34.
“Tonight, we just made nothing,” Oswayo Valley head coach Clark Cummings said. “Not to take anything away from them, it just felt like we missed open looks and good opportunities. If we hold them to 39, we should win the game, especially if we hold Close to zero. It’s just squarely on the shoulders of the offensive side of the ball tonight.”
The Green Wave (12-8, 8-7 NTL) had trouble scoring from almost everywhere on the court and couldn’t overcome an early 11-0 Otto-Eldred lead. Terrors’ junior Sawyer Drummond had a monster night, scoring 16 points and grabbing 15 rebounds.
“We came out with a lot of energy in that first quarter, I thought,” Terrors’ coach Dan Dalton said. “They’re a well-coached team. (Clark) Cummings does a great job with them. They answered our run right after that then it seemed like a stalemate.”
The win keeps the Terrors in the fight for a top seed in the Class A playoff field, a projected bracket that has the five teams below top-seeded Elk Catholic (20-0) jumbled with 12 and 11 wins each.
“We said going into this game if we can win these next three games, we have a good chance of getting a top (seed),” Dalton said. “It gives us a better chance.”
In the first quarter, Seth and Sawyer Drummond each scored four points while teammate Damen Palmer (13 points) hit a 3-pointer as the Terrors took an early 11-0 lead. Oswayo Valley fought back to get within one, 17-16, in the second quarter after Theo Henry scored two, but the Green Wave could never fully break through as Otto-Eldred led wire-to-wire.
With just more than two minutes left in the game, Jordan Sherwood’s bucket put the Terrors up nine, 38-29, but Gavin Babcock knocked down three of his game-high 18 points to inch the Green Wave closer and made for an interesting final minute. The Terrors missed three one-and-one free throw opportunities in the final minute, but the clock worked in the team’s favor for the victory.
Juan Bosco Ramiro Alonso, Otto-Eldred’s Spanish exchange student, filled up the stat sheet with seven rebounds, four assists and four steals in addition to his two points. Sherwood also pulled down seven rebounds.
To say Oswayo Valley struggled on the offensive end of the floor might be an understatement. The Green Wave shot 21 percent from the field, including a 3-for-16 effort from 3-point land, and made just half of its free-throw attempts.
“It was awful,” Cummings said. “On the offensive end, we played horrendously. I don’t want to take anything away from Eldred, but I didn’t think it was anything that they really did against us. We just couldn’t make shots. We missed stuff we’ve been making these last couple weeks. Our shooting percentage has been steadily rising the last 6-7 games. Tonight, we just made nothing. Not to take anything away from them, it just felt like we missed open looks and good opportunities.”
Oswayo Valley mustered just 14 second-half points, five of which came in the last 2:01 of the fourth quarter.
“We hit a lull,” Cummings said. “We sent basketball back a few years with that offensive display, for sure. It was pretty ugly. Hopefully it’s just a little bump.”
Oswayo Valley finishes its season hosting Cameron County on Monday and then will have to watch the playoff picture sort itself out. Otto-Eldred plays Cameron County on Friday night.
Based on projected brackets with Elk Catholic having already locked up the top seed, Oswayo Valley, Otto-Eldred, Cameron County, Port Allegany and North Clarion occupy seeds two through six with movement expected in the last week-and-a-half of the season. Four teams advance from the District 9 Class A bracket to the state tournament.
“Every win is important right now,” Cummings said. “I don’t’ know how they’re going to set up playoff games and home games and everything, but every game is important. We felt tonight was really important to get that 13th win. We felt if we could get to 13 wins, we’d have a good chance if they’re going to do home playoff games to be in the position to get one. We’re going to have to try and get that on Monday now.”
AT DUKE CENTER
Oswayo Valley (34)
Garrett Babcock 2 0-0 4, Henry 2 2-4 7, Gavin Babcock 6 4-6 18, Karr 1 0-0 2, Black 1 0-2 2, Gage Babcock 0 1-2 1. Totals: 12 7-14 34.
Otto-Eldred (39)
Sawyer Drummond 6 4-7 16, Close 0 0-1 0, Damen Palmer 6 0-1 13, Ramiro Alonso 1 0-1 2, Seth Drummond 2 0-0 4, Sherwood 2 0-0 4. Totals 17 4-10 39.
Oswayo Valley 8 20 25 34
Otto-Eldred 15 24 32 39
Three-point goals: Oswayo Valley 3 (Gavin Babcock 2, Henry); Otto-Eldred 1 (Palmer)
Total fouls: Oswayo Valley 12, Otto-Eldred 11. Fouled out: none.
JV: Otto-Eldred, 48-19
