By FRED KRONER
fred@sjoaily.com
Oakwood’s boys’ basketball team won twice this week to move into Friday’s championship game of its own Class 2A regional tournament.
In Wednesday’s semifinal game, the Comets (21-9) upended Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin (22-8), 55-35.
Trevan Garrett scored a team-high 20 points.
Oakwood had a balanced attack to back Garrett. Four other squad members scored at least eight points.
Isaiah Ruch totaled nine points. Bryce Jones, Zane Priest and Brevin Wells added eight points apiece.
The Comets led, 18-2, after one quarter and went on to snap the Blue Devils’ 13-game winning streak.
Oakwood, which has an eight-game winning streak of its own, will take on Paxton-Buckley-Loda (19-9) in Friday’s 7 p.m. title game.
In order to reach the semifinals, the Comets opened postseason play with a win that put them in the 20-win club for the first time in four years.
Oakwood overpowered Westville 53-31 in the first round.
Priest led the way with 20 points. Andy Hohn hit a season-high 16 points, and made four three-point shots in the fourth period.
Jones tallied eight points.
Oakwood led, 14-3, after one quarter and 29-16 at halftime.
Westville is 5-23.
St. Joseph-Ogden
The Spartans’ boys’ basketball season came to an abrupt end on Tuesday, in the first round of the Broadlands Class 2A Regional.
Tuscola topped SJ-O, 58-55.
Tuscola led after one quarter, 15-11, and at halftime, 31-28, but SJ-O had regained the lead, 47-46, entering the final period.
Jack Cook (16 points), Payton Cain (11 points) and Joel Orcutt (11 points) were the top scorers for the Spartans (19-10).
Chance Izard and Keanen Swanson scored six points apiece.
Adam Rose chipped in with five points.
Izard hit both of his baskets from three-point range and the junior finished the season with 27 of his last 33 baskets from three-point land.
Cook, Ocutt, Rose, Swanson and Joseph Rajlich are the SJ-O seniors.
Villa Grove/Heritage
The Hawks were outscored 21-15 in the fourth quarter on Wednesday at Broadlands, and lost a 63-57 decision to Unity in the semifinals of their own Class 2A regional.
The teams were tied, 42-42, after three quarters.
Will Wilson led VG/Heritage (23-8) with 21 points. Jared Stevens contributed 17 points and Jake Eversole added nine points.
Unity (16-14) will play Tuscola (18-11) in Friday’s 7 p.m. title game.
In the first round of postseason play, Bryce Dalle scored a season-high 17 points on Monday as the Blue Devils continued their winning ways, defeating Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond, 68-35.
Eversole and Logan Nohren each scored 10 points.
VG/Heritage’s win was its sixth in a row.
The Hawks led, 11-3, after the first stanza and increased the margin to 37-10 at halftime.
A-L/A-H is 3-23.
The VG/Heritage seniors are Dalle, Kane Davison, Gavin Reinhart, Stevens, Cole Thomas, Evan Wilson and Will Wilson.
