By HUNTER O. LYLE
lyleoleanstar@gmail.com
DUKE CENTER, PA – In their first taste of postseason action, the Otto-Eldred boys’ basketball team smashed through the first round of the North Tier League playoffs, beating Port Allegany 68-46 with a massive second half surge.
Perennially atop the league standings, the Terrors and Gators are more than familiar with each other. However, the memory of their last meeting still lingered for a different reason. Facing off last Thursday, Port came within one overtime period from being the first team to beat O-E on their home court, NTL or otherwise, in several years. Despite being without their star guard Manning Splain due to injury, O-E willed themselves to a five-point win.
“It’s really tough playing and beating a team three or four times. (Port) is a good ball team,” said Otto-Eldred head coach Derrick Francis. “They’re tall, they’re lengthy and they have mismatch nightmares for us. They make everything tough on you.”
Yet, despite having a full and healthy roster, the Terrors struggled to get their wheels turning. To open the contest, O-E came with a multi-pronged attack that was composed of guards Splain and Landon Francis looking for shots beyond the arc, forward Shene Thomas waiting to be fed down low in the post and a web of ball-hungry defenders eagerly preying upon the passing lane.
Through the first four minutes, everything was going according to plan for the Terrors, especially on defense where they ripped away four Gator turnovers early. However, the momentum would quietly slip away from them from then on.
Although O-E would still come away with frequent steals, their transition offense lost its edge. Unable to score on the fast break, they chose to settle into the halfcourt set but still couldn’t break the newly attached seal on the basket. While the Terrors dipped into a scoring drought, Port began to pick up steam.
Using their size and strength, the Gators started bruising their way into the paint with head-down drives or pick-and-rolls. With the help of a few mid-range jumpers and one from beyond the arc, Port took a slim 11-9 lead after the first eight minutes.
For teams that have the offensive prowess and capabilities such as O-E, scoring droughts never last too long. Theirs ended as the second quarter began.
Starting with a made and-one from Davey Schenfield, the Terrors sparked a 7-0 run that would put them in the driver’s seat. Executing with an equally effective defensive presence, they would hold Port without a basket for the first three minutes of play and would only let up nine points in the quarter. In the meantime, everything was coming up Blue and Gold.
From a barrage of 3-pointers to an iron grip on both the offensive and defensive boards, O-E sparked another run that would snowball into a 15-6 stretch to finish out the first half. Entering the break, the Terrors had built a 31-20 buffer on the scoreboard.
“We weren’t hitting some shots early on but we’re never going to shoot 25 percent again,” said Derrick Francis. “We just picked the pace up and good things started happening.”
Landon Francis (left) dives for a loose ball during the Terrors’ 24-point win over the Gators on Thursday. Francis ended with 18 points in the win. | Photo by Hunter O. Lyle
Despite the intermission, O-E clutched to the momentum with white knuckles. Although the Gators would score on the opening possession of the second half, the Terrors’ fast-paced and high-pressure defense would keep them off the scoreboard for the next five and a half minutes.
On offense, O-E continued to play at a near-flawless level. Seemingly unstoppable, the Terrors scored from every inch of the court as they poured in 13 unanswered points in the first four minutes. That run would swell to 18-0 as their lead grew to 25. Despite a brief run from Port late in the quarter – the Gators ended with a 6-1 stretch in the final three minutes – they were looking up at an insurmountable 51-29 deficit with one quarter to go.
As both teams took to the court for the final time, everyone in the gym knew the outcome was all but decided. O-E was still red hot and continued to keep their foot on the pedal through the early minutes. With the lead out of reach, both teams began substituting in their reserves, accepting the fact that the Terrors had once again proven why they boast a 64-0 NTL record.
“We made some adjustments (at the start of the second half) and fine tuned some details that we just weren’t perfect on. And you have to be perfect,” said Derrick Francis. “You have to be really good to win ball games and the later the season goes the harder it gets and you have to be more perfect. That’s why I’m so hard on these kids when we’re up 60 against whoever. It’s really important to be perfect.”
Thomas led the Terrors with 28 points, tying his season-high and knocking down a team-leading three 3-pointers along the way.
“We’ve said for four years that there’s nobody who can guard Shene,” said Derrick Francis. “He’s just putting the work in, coming to school, doing the right things and that’s what makes you a good ball player. When you do all the right things and come to shoot around and come to lifts and come to optional stuff, good things happen.”
Alongside their man in the middle, Landon Francis scored 18 while Schenfield ended with 10.
Moving forward, the Terrors will advance to the NTL Championship on Friday. Playing at Bradford Area High School, O-E will take on another very familiar face: Cameron County. That game is slated for 6 p.m. before the O-E girls’ basketball team takes on Coudersport at 8 p.m.
“We’re confident but we know we have to get better. ‘My bads’ and that stuff will lose you ball games,” said Derrick Francis. “‘My bads’ are just an easy way out. Hopefully there won’t be any in bigger games.”
AT DUKE CENTER
Port Allegany (46)
Causer 5 2-3 12, Amell 4 2-2 10, Funk 4 1-2 10, Wilfong 3 2-3 9, Hawver 1 1-2 3, Kaple 1 0-0 2. Totals: 18 8-12 46
Otto-Eldred (68)
Thomas 12 1-2 28, Francis 7 2-2 18, D. Schenfield 3 3-5 10, Splain 4 0-0 9, Obenrader 1 0-0 2, App 0 1-2 1. Totals: 17 7-11 68
Port Allegany 11 20 29 46
Otto-Eldred 9 31 51 68
Three-point goals: PA (2) Funk, Wilfong, O-E (7) Thomas 3, Francis 2, Splain, D. Schenfield; Total fouls: PA 16, O-E 15; fouled out: Kaple (PA).
