SWT Sports Writer
sports@southwesttimes.com
DUBLIN – The Oak Hill Warriors vs. Hargrave Tigers scrimmage lived up to expectations on Wednesday. It took three periods, but the Tigers were able to come out on top for the second straight season over the Warriors, 121-116.
“They are big and physical,” said Oak Hill coach Steve Smith. “They are a post-graduate team, so they are a little older and strong. It’s a great scrimmage for us because we can’t play a high school team that has that kind of talent from top to bottom.”
“It’s a great scrimmage,” said Hargrave coach Kevin Keatts. “Steve [Smith] does a great job with his team. We were able to take some positives away from it, as well as some things to work on.”
Hargrave would jump out to an early lead in the first half thanks to forward Lorenzo Brown and Dominique Ferguson. The two combined for 31 of the Tigers 41 points in the first half.
“Lorenzo has been the most consistent guy since we got him in August,” Keatts said. “Dominique played really well tonight. If they can play like that night in and night out, that’s going to be good for us.”
However, Oak Hill would charge back with guard Doran Lamb, as the senior tied the game up at 22-22 during the 11:44 mark. The outcome of the game though would be decided by guard Keith Hornsby, who got hot from behind the three-point line. He would connect on two three-pointers before the end of the first half and allowed Oak Hill to take a 48-41 lead in the first half.
Before the beginning of the second half, the score would be reset to 0-0. The Tigers would use their athleticism to jump out to an early lead. It would hold strong up until the 11:48 mark, when the Tigers lead was 26-20.
The Warriors fought back to tie the game thanks to Lamb. The senior would score a bucket and help assist in two more, which tied the game at 30-30. Oak Hill would continue to score. After a Ferguson lay up, Lamb would add his own bucket, which would open up the lead to 39-35.
“I just wanted to come out here and show everyone that we are the best team in the country,” Lamb said. “Last year, we lost by 15 and I didn’t get to play. I just wanted to show my team that I am a leader and can carry them.”
“Doran is a scorer and our best offensive player,” Smith said. “He gets to the basket. He has a mid-range game, which most kids don’t have nowadays. He didn’t take many threes tonight, but he has a three-point range. He gets to the foul line a lot and gets to the basket to draw fouls. He usually is a good free throw shooter. He did miss his first couple, but after that I think he did a good job of knocking down his free throws.”
Hargrave fought back with Shawn Kemp Jr. The forward had been held in check with three points during the first half, but stormed out in the second half with 16 points. The key moment in the half came when Hargrave would cause a few turnovers to close the half, scoring on many breakaway lay ups and dunks. Those breakaways gave the Tigers a 64-57 lead at the end of the second half.
“We came out and didn’t know where we were at or what we were going to do,” Kemp Jr. said. “We just continued what we had been doing in the first half and that finally got us to what we needed to do in the second half.”
“Shawn is coming along,” Keatts said. “He’s just like most of the big guys. It takes them a little longer to mature and get better. I think every day he is taking baby steps and getting better. Certainly in the second half, he played great for us. He made some key jump shots, got some key dunks, and got to the free throw line. So he did some good things for us.”
After two halfs of play, the two teams would score 105 points a piece, so it was decided to go to an ten minute overtime period to decide a winner in the game. In the overtime session, Hargrave’s Jarvis Davis scored six points and Colton Christian added 5 points, as the Tigers took the overtime period 16-11, giving them the 121-116 win in the scrimmage.
Brown had 27 points, 14 assists, and 12 rebounds for Hargrave. Ferguson added 22 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks, while Kemp Jr. had 21 points and nine rebounds.
Lamb would be the high scorer for Oak Hill and in the game with 34 points. He also had six rebounds and two steals. Teammate Roscoe Smith contributed 18 points and eight rebounds as well.
Not only was the talent on the court a spectacle, but there were many huge guests in attendance. Among those in observance were Virginia Tech basketball coach Seth Greenberg, new Virginia basketball coach Tony Bennett, and former North Carolina Tar Heel player and current Appalachian State assistant coach Jason Capel.
Also on hand were scouts from many colleges, including Arkansas, Oklahoma, Auburn, UNC-Asheville, and Radford, as well as some of the best professional basketball scouts in all of America.
Not did the fans see a good show between the schools, but it helped the Cougars basketball program tremendously. 420 fans attended the game, allowing the team to raise some money for their upcoming season.
“I haven’t looked at the numbers, but I feel really good about it,” said Activities Director Mark Hanks. “Any little bit is going to help. I think that there were maybe 500 people here. The gym holds so many people that it is hard to tell how many people were here. They saw a lot of good players if they like basketball.”
As far as a potential “Oak Hill vs. Hargrave III”, both coaches feel optimistic about it and their short stay in Pulaski.
“Pulaski is a great place,” Keatts said. “We like it because it is an in-between location for us. We’ve enjoyed it. These guys treat us first class. We really like coming up here.”
“We enjoy coming,” Smith said. “It is about halfway between both schools. Our schools are two and a half hours apart, so it is easier to come here. You don’t get home at one o’clock in the morning on a school night. It’s fun. Hopefully, we can do it again next year.”
(10-22-09)
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