BBB 2011-11-29 vs Cascade

Tuesday saw the opening of the 2011-2012 basketball season with a boys non-league game vs the 4A Cascade Bruins at OHHS.

In the dome, the freshmen boys game had a very slow start, with OH behind 4-3 at the end of the first quarter. Both teams improved in the second quarter, but the Wildcats were still behind by 1 point at halftime, 16-15. The trend continued in the 3rd, with OH still trailing by one point, 24-23. In the 4th quarter, Zach Jones, who had been quiet for most of the game, exploded for 12 of his 19 points as OH won in the end 39-38. In addition to Jones' 19 points, Gage Eccleston scored 9, Jacob Sturdevant 4, Chris Humphries 3 and Brad Nehring 2. Sorry, no photos of the freshman game this time.

In JV action, the game also started slowly, with OH down 2-8. With less than a minute in the first quarter, the Wildcats scored back-to-back to take a 13-8 lead and added two more before the first buzzer. The boys continued to play well in the second, leading 26-18 at the half. The 'Cats stumbled a bit in the 3rd, allowing Cascade to catch up and take a 32-31 lead at the end of the period. OH regained the lead just 30 seconds into the final quarter on a nice basket by Gabriel Groenig and Chris Hailer added another to go up 36-33. The Wildcats would allow just 5 points all quarter while scoring 11 to win 43-36. Diamonte Ridley led the team wtih 15 and Hailer also finished in double figures with 12. Groenig finished with 9, Anfernee Angkaw 5 and Dayne Herron 2.

Oak Harbor grabbed an early 4-0 lead in the varsity game after Kevawn Brooks made an early basket. He was fouled on the play and although he missed the free throw, Mike Washington was there for the put-back. Late in the quarter Drew Washington drained a pair of 3-pointers but Cascade led 12-10 at the first break. The Wildcats found themselves down by 7 points, 18-25, with a minute left in the half but battled back to make it 24-25 at halftime.

In the 3rd, it was back and forth, with a Mike Washington buzzer-beating 3-pointer giving the Wildcats their first lead of the night, 38-36.

Free throws proved to be the difference, as Cascade sank 8 of 17 attempts in the 4th quarter and a late surge by Oak Harbor wasn't enough as Cascade won 59-52.

Mike Washington finished with 26 points and was 10-13 from the free throw line. Brooks had 8 points, Drew Washington 6, along with Matt Burgoyne, who was 4-4 from the line. Cameron Faulkner scored 4 points and Elias Whitefoot 2.

The JV and freshmen teams play tonight at home against Anacortes while varsity has the night off. The boys start league play next Tuesday with a trip to Shorecrest to take on the Scots, then return home on December 13th against Lynnwood.

55 photos from the JV and Varsity games are posted HERE.

Video highlights are posted HERE.