COLONY—It was cold here Friday night, but it wasn’t just the weather. A struggling offense and ice cold perimeter shooting plagued Crest High’s Lancers as they came up short in their homecoming matchup against Oswego High’s Indians 47-42.
Both teams struggled early on offense but the early edge went to Crest and the Lancers took a 9-5 lead into the second quarter. But the Indians came out hustling and snatched the lead with about six minutes remaining in the first half and took a 21-17 lead into the locker room at the break.
Not giving up on the outside shot, Crest’s Kyle Hammond and Jordan Morton kept firing. But the results were the same. Crest failed to convert any of its three-point attempts in the third.
“We just couldn’t get anything going,” said Travis Hermreck, Crest head coach. “When you’re not making shots, they kind of let up in other places and didn’t take care of the things they can control.”
Despite the cold shooting, Crest managed to cut into Oswego’s lead. The Indians clung to a three point lead, 28-25, as the Three Rivers League opponents entered the final period of play.
Still, Crest found itself within striking distance of the lead. With just under two minutes to play, Morton was fouled during a fight for a loose ball, earning a trip to the free throw line. The junior guard knocked down both attempts and gave the Lancers their first lead, 42-41 since the second quarter.
But Crest self-destructed. With under 30 second remaining in the game and down 43-42, Oswego’s Weston Eckerman was left unguarded under the basket and the 6-foot senior converted. Turnovers on Crest’s final two possessions put the game out of reach.
“When we got that lead it seemed like we had a little momentum. I really thought the guys were going to step and get it done at that point,” Hermreck said. “But the second we got ahead, we dug ourselves another hole.”
Hammond led all players with 23 points in the losing effort while teammates Morton and Chris Brallier, crowned homecoming kind prior to the game, added nine and eight points respectively.
Brant Yoeman led the Indians’ offense with 14 points, hitting four key free throws down the stretch.
Crest (9-8-8-17—42) (FG/3-pt): C. Bowen 0-0-2-0, Boone 0-0-1-0, Morton 1/1-4-2-9, Hammond 3/3-8-3-23, Brallier 2/1-1-5-8, J. Bowen 1-0-1-2, Ellis 0-0-1-0. TOTALS: 7/5-13-15-42.
Oswego (5-16-7-19—47): Oldman 3/1-0-3-9, Yoeman 5-4-3-14, Eckerman 1/1-0-1-5, Hairston 3-3-4-9, Schenker 2-2-3-6, Campbell 0-0-1-0, Dickerson 1-2-1-4. TOTALS: 15/2-11-16-47.
