By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
STAYTON, Ore.– For the third-time since last year, the Rams and Oakland met up in a non-league match-up.
The Oakers took the two meetings later season against Regis, taking the game in Oakland before defeating the Rams for third-place in 2A last Winter. And Oakland looked primed and ready to possibly do the same again Saturday night in Stayton against Regis.
The Oakers led the Rams 30-28 at the halftime break. Momentum was even, Oakland jumped out to an early lead, Regis took the lead in the second quarter leading 25-21 before the Oakers took the two-point lead into the halftime intermission thanks to a 9-2 run to close out the frame.
But then, that was when the Rams came around.
Regis opened the third quarter on a 7-2 run to take a 35-32 lead behind their unique high-tempo pace. But this time, they were able to sustain that momentum and energy for longer than that brief run. For much of the third quarter, the Rams lead fluctuated being three and six points with some crucial defensive stops and offensive baskets when they needed them to keep them out in front.
It was in the final minute of the quarter, on the heels of seeing their lead once more cut to three, leading 46-43 at this point, Regis went on another quick burst. This time of the 5-0 variety to close out the third quarter leading 51-43 on Oakland.
That 5-0 run would go on to spawn a 20-7 fourth quarter to help seal what became a 71-50 home victory on Saturday for their fifth-straight victory.
“I think it just snapped that if we got a stop and we got open buckets, and that really happened,” said Lucas Koehnke. “Jude (Pokorny) and Jake (Laube) got a couple of really good steals that led to some fastbreak looks and it got us a few open three’s and that’s what really helped us in the third quarter,”
“That (fourth quarter) was everything. We were struggling with foul trouble, Eli (Silbernagel) had three, Fletcher (Gould) had three, we just had to play without fouling and that’s hard to do with that big guy, (Jaxson Clark) is a good player, but we found a way in our 2-3 to shut him down,” adds Jude Pokorny. “Just stay together. If things don’t go our way, we just got to stay as a team, keep moving forward and move onto the next play. That’s what our coach always emphasizes, next play, don’t hang your head and just stay together.”
Regis held six-foot-ten-inch Clark to 12 points in the game, two in the second half. Shepard Brooksby led the Oakers with 17 points.
The Rams connected on five of their seven three-pointers in that second half. Pokorny had three of them as he finished with 18 points whileKoehnke (14), Silbernagel (12), Rook Smith (ten) and Laube (ten) scored in double-figures.
Regis will host Santiam on Tuesday while the Oakers will host Myrtle Point on Tuesday night.
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
