Oakdale Survives Harriman Scare 65-62
By Terry Futrell – November 30, 2018
Fans who attended the Oakdale at Harriman boys’ basketball game Friday evening can’t have many fingernails left after the slugfest that was won by Oakdale 65-62. The two teams were evenly matched in terms of speed and capability, and the outcome was not assured until the final horn. Perhaps the best way to describe the game is NASCAR vs Formula 1. While there had to be a winner in the game, it is clear that both Oakdale and Harriman will be contending for the District 3-A championship.
The Eagles and Blue Devils are about as close to a mirror image as one is likely to find in area basketball. Both have phenomenal speed, agility, and 3-point shooting capability. Both typically play full-court, pressure defense and like to run with the ball. When the two teams face each other, it is definitely a nail-biter and a game that keeps fans on the edge of their seats.
While the game stats are relatively equal between the two teams, perhaps the single greatest discriminator was the inopportune timing of Harriman’s fouls. Oakdale had 13 fouls compared to Harriman’s 15. But, because of the timing of Harriman’s fouls, Oakdale shot 19 free throws compared to Harriman’s seven.
Oakdale was led in scoring by Rhett Nelson with 23 points, 12 of which came from 3-point shots. Garrett Best followed with 16 points and Dawson Smith had 10 points. Harriman was led by Jaylen McCullum with 17 points and Trezdin Copeland with 11 points.
Harriman jumped out to a 9-4 lead midway in the 1st quarter. Oakdale took the lead at 13-12 with 2:54 on the clock. Harriman immediately regained the lead 14-13 and held on to lead 21-18 after one.
Oakdale regained the lead 24-23 at 5:30 in the 2nd period. The lead changed three times before the teams went to the locker room at halftime with Harriman Leading 34-32.
At this point, fans needed a break as much as the players did. The intensity of the game and speed of play had been overwhelming – one dared not take their eyes off the court while the ball was in play.
After the break, Harriman went cold, connecting on only two shots and scoring only five points in the 3rd quarter. Oakdale’s pressure defense was obviously a contributing factor. Oakdale led 48-39 at the end of three.
The Blue Devils came roaring back in the 4th quarter, led by Jaylen McCullum’s nine points and outscoring the Eagles 23-17. Harriman came within four points of the Eagles at 57-53 before Oakdale once again built a seven-point lead at 60-53. Harriman fought back to come within one point of the Eagles at 60-59 aided by Oakdale turnovers. The Eagles then extended their lead to 65-62 with three seconds left on the clock. Oakdale intercepted the inbounds pass and closed out the game 65-62 for a very hard-fought victory.
Oakdale travels to play the Wartburg Bulldogs on December 4, which should be another fast-paced game with much intensity. Fans might consider practicing their meditation before going!
Box Score
| Oakdale | ||||||
| Player | PF | 2s | 3s | FTA | FTM | TP |
| D Smith | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 10 | |
| I Goldston | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| G Miller | 1 | 2 | 4 | |||
| R Nelson | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 23 | |
| G Best | 4 | 5 | 10 | 6 | 16 | |
| C Smith | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | |
| R Tilson | 2 | 2 | 2 | |||
| E Solomon | ||||||
| J Wyatt | ||||||
| Totals | 13 | 17 | 6 | 19 | 13 | 65 |
| Harriman | ||||||
| Player | PF | 2s | 3s | FTA | FTM | TP |
| E Adkisson | 1 | 1 | 3 | |||
| T Copeland | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 11 |
| B Stubbs | 2 | 3 | 1 | 9 | ||
| J Scudder | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | ||
| J Martin | 1 | 2 | 4 | |||
| K Love | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
| B Willis | 2 | 2 | 4 | |||
| J McCullum | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 17 |
| Totals | 15 | 16 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 62 |
| Scoring by Quarter | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | ||
| Oakdale | 18 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 65 | |
| Harriman | 21 | 13 | 5 | 23 | 62 | |