DUKE CENTER — No Gavin Jimerson, no Shene Thomas, no Steve Bell and three players not playing.
Otto-Eldred could have had so many excuses. It didn’t need any of them.
O-E overcame a first quarter deficit to win, 42-27, at home over Sheffield.
Sheffield banked in the first points of the game with a 3-pointer from Tony Richards, who led the team in scoring with eight points. The Wolverines looked good early on, but only took an 11-10 lead going into the second quarter.
Otto-Eldred’s offense had lacked some rhythm in the first.
That was to be expected with multiple starters out and guys playing different positions than they’re used to. But O-E did a great job in the second quarter, finding the open look from three or driving in the lane to get a layup.
“We had a lot of guys playing in spots where they’re not normally playing in,” said O-E coach Erick Francis. “We had a point guard playing in a post position. But we want to do the things we do and we want to put guys in different positions and for the most part, they executed pretty well.”
Execution was critical and the Terrors put on a balanced offensive showing in the middle quarters that helped them build their lead.
Austin Cousins and Manning Splain scored 15 and 10 points, respectively. Splain hit a trio of triples while Cousins hit one but added a few more long two-pointers.
Landon Francis finished with eight points, but the freshman was an excellent floor general. He dished out six assists to help pilot O-E’s offense.
Cohen Walker was thrust into the starting big-man spot and he responded well.
He had nine points and they all came in the paint and low post. Walker led the team with six rebounds and was fearless under the rim. Twice, he missed a shot and fought off multiple Sheffield defenders to get his own rebound and then pass it out or put it through the net himself.
“(Walker), he has a heart of gold, he works his tail off and he’ll run through brick walls,” said Erick Francis. “He does a lot of dirty work for us and there’s not many kids out there, in District 9 basketball, that want to take charges. He lives and dies for it… he was our only senior tonight and he led us and I’m proud of him.”
The game was still relatively close at half, with O-E leading 24-16.
Sheffield started the third quarter well with a big 3-pointer and some baskets, but the Terrors locked down from there to prevent Sheffield from making a big run.
They guarded the paint well, forcing Sheffield to either take long three’s or drive into a crowded box. More importantly, when the Wolverines took long shots, O-E was there to fight for the rebound.
Sheffield got into foul trouble in the second half, as well. They committed nine fouls to O-E’s five, and only went to the free throw line eight times in the whole game.
O-E will have a longer-than-scheduled break after the game. They were supposed to play Galeton today, but the game was postponed due to Covid issues. Still, the lack of normal starters gave the staff an extended look at the younger players and the results were more than promising.
“That was a good win for us,” Erick Francis said. “We’re down three guys, the young kids stepped up, a lot of role players stepped up that didn’t get a lot of playing time last year. Sheffield’s a nice ball team.”
Even though coach Bell wasn’t there, his impact was felt on the game.
“I’ve been with these kids a lot of years and they know me,” said Erick Francis. “I know (coach Bell) wishes he could be here with me. He’s been in my ear all week, talking to us all week long. He’s always behind the scenes doing everything that needs to be done.”
Richards 3 0-0 8, Copley 3 1-2 7, Finch 2 1-2 5, McNeal 1 1-2 3, Silvis 0 2-2 2, Wotorson 1 0-0 2. Totals:
Otto-Eldred (42)Cousins 5 1-2 15, Splain 3 1-2 10, Walker 4 1-2 9, Francis 3 2-3 8, M. Spalin 0 0-2 0. Totals:
Three-point goals: Sheffield 2 (Richards 2), O-E 4 (Splain 3, Cousins); Total fouls: Sheffield 12, O-E 7; fouled out:
JV: Sheffield 37, Otto-Eldred 35
